Ecco: The Glyph Caller
by Singer of Time
Summary: The beloved hero Ecco returns from a mysterious trip into the tides of time...now his descendant of the future, Trellia, calls upon his help once more, for the rift of time has been hurt more than what was previously thought... (Finished! .)
1. 1

**Ecco: The Glyph Caller**

Oh, for the chosen one  
except for the stars on his brow, normal be he  
The past, the present, the future calls his name  
on that day he saved all three 

The story unfolded, or so it seems for now  
can the darknesses, they would truly leave  
As long as ancient Delphineus protects  
Those who deeply or never believe

The future of his, our present now,  
forever and a day is safe to swim  
As long as the sea laughs and cries  
fate for us, as a day sky, can't grow that dim.  
  
-Sung by Trellia and the Flying Singers after Ecco's victory

**Chapter One**

"Ah, can the seas ever be calmer than this very moment?" Trellia asked of her podmate, Tiderider.

"Maybe. As long as your ancestor keeps the peace in his time, our time never sees the dark vortex equivalent."

"His name is Ecco," corrected Trellia. She felt a heavy need to remember her ancestor after he saved the natural future of Earth.

It all started with the alien creatures called the Vortex. Ecco, a young dolphin who was only known for the constellation-like star pattern on his forehead at the time, had his family torn from him in a crimson blaze of wind and the fearful cries of his family, friends, and love that tore his heart apart. He traveled through the beauty of a sea that he thought he knew, but was changed and paralyzed by fear. Through the rip tides, dangerous and strange creatures, and ancient wise souls that he once thought were extensions of the sea itself: fearless, strong, invincible. He learned quickly that no one really lives forever. With help from the great Big Blue, the ancient Asterite, and with the mysterious Glyph crystals, he eventually defeated the Vortex queen and saved the world.

Later, it was found that the queen followed him to Earth and supposedly killed the Asterite, which split the strands of time into two futures: The one that was meant to be, and the dark, featureless void that used to be life. He traveled to both and met his descendant, Trellia, in the light future. He had to save the Asterite's life in order to regain his powers and rid the Earth of the Vortex once and for all.

"Whatever. That was eons ago. You may be Ecco's blood, but I will rule these skies one day."

"Go away, Tideslider."

"TideRIDER!" He corrected. He laughed and floated off for his scheduled swim. Trellia sighed. He was an annoying one, but she'd known him since they flew the skies as young ones. He was her best friend, and maybe more.

Trellia floated above the ocean, the waves still as active as the dawn of life. The moon was high in the sky, the constellation of Delphineus barely visible yet in the dusk. The stars reminded Trellia that nothing was more precious than life. She was the only one in the sky, the other flying singers starting to dream. Trellia always took this time to remember her ancestor and the wild look in his eyes when he was brought to the future that, in Delphine terms, was a sense of duty. The way he immediately raced to the sky tubes after hearing the Asterite wanted to talk, the shrill battle cry he invented as a way to sing for luck, his flukes as fast and powerful as the great Orca. All of that floated with Trellia as her long fins--dorsal, pectoral and fluke--moved her through a sky now indigo and dotted with bright stars. The water below her was cool to the touch, and black in color.

She was getting ready to descend so she could sleep, when the sky caught her eye. It did so every night; at first she dismissed it as another star dying. But it only showed up at night, a big red and black mass of clouds. Every night it crept closer, covering the stars. It was big enough now to reach Delphineus, which made Trellia very worried. The lone star on her head, proof of her relation to the great Ecco, always shined with the stars. Now it was so dim the other singers could have dismissed her as just another singer. She hung in midair, powerless to comprehend what happened to grow every night.

As Trellia slunk low to the sea but eye frozen to the blood-red apparition, her other eye caught the surface. Under the dark water, Something was shining as bright as a diamond.

Trellia dove underwater and used her sonar to find the source of the white light. The surface of the water was dark red as it reflected the, _thing_, in the sky.

Trellia stared at the crystal. It was a Glyph, placed there to help Ecco through his journey. She sang to it, but it gave only one message before blinking out: "_Help...help...find...the...Glyph Caller._" Then, all the Glyph crystals in the sea, placed by the time-traveling Atlanteans, began to glow white like that one. It illuminated the seabed and made a few fish scurry out of the area.

Trellia was scared. The Glyphs never seemed hurt even after they were of no use, but they were in pain now. She got the same wild look in her eyes as Ecco once did and flew back to the sky.

"Singers of the Skylands gather!" Cried Trellia in a blast of song. She used it to call attention to any singer that was present in all of the seas and skyseas. It was so powerful, it can be heard by all.

However, no one came. Trellia cried out again, but again no luck.  
_No one can sleep that deep,_ thought Trellia. Something was wrong; the phenomenon was getting ever closer and seemed to put a sleep spell on everyone but her. _That's it_, Trellia realized. _The Glyphs are the key. But who better than Tiderider to unlock the key, since he's a descendant of someone legendary?_

Trellia thought about that, then came up with the obvious answer. She had powers alone to time travel, so that was the answer.

"Ecco."

Trellia called down the Song of Transport in the version that allows one to travel through time, and vanished in a ring of stars.

* * *

"What is that, Ecco?" asked young Radero.

His mother, Enuia, came to him first. "Radero, how many times have I told you, show respect to all elders, especially the pod leader?"

"I am not an elder anyway" said Ecco, the five stars on his forehead as bright as any young dolphin; and he was still as pure despite the fact that he was a real hero among all singers; and to the sea.

Ecco came up to Radero and smiled. "Now what do you ask of me, young calfling?"

Radero pointed to the gleaming crystal. "That thing. What is it?"

Ecco smiled. "That is a Glyph. They are scattered all over the sea, as the Atlanteans intended. They are a mystery, being everywhere and not saying much, but legend has it the sea would lose balance with the sky if they were broken."

Ecco left the young one to ponder the mysteries on his own. Ecco was the great hero and savior from the Vortex, but he always needed time alone now and then.

Suddenly, there was a nagging feeling tugging at his head, which he always trusted meant trouble. He swam from his family to find it out. And there, right before the chosen one's eyes, appeared the one dolphin he could never forget. "Trellia?"

Trellia was exhausted. She had been struggling through the time stream that the Glyphs held together, partly because they were breaking the binds that held life and time. Both Trellia and Ecco had very strong instincts about the broken peace.

"Yes, it is I," Trellia replied. "You have to come with me to my time, it is being ripped apart!"


	2. 2

**Chapter 2**

"Ripped apart? How do you mean?" Ecco queried of Trellia.

Trellia went up to catch a breath before telling Ecco her story: "All was fine where I live. Then I saw it, the great cloud of darkness that arrives every night and grows larger by the day!" Trellia found her voice was raised a little, so she paused and went on. "I thought it was nothing, but I noticed all of the Glyphs in the sea were glowing brighter as it moved closer. It told me to get the 'Glyph Caller', and blinked out. I knew that there was trouble when no one would come when I used the Gather Song. I decided to come get you to help solve the mystery, as you may know more about the Glyphs than I do."

During the story, Ecco turned from concerned to confused. He did know of the Glyphs, but not much more than Trellia. The mysterious crystals handed him hints and songs all through his journeys through time.

"I'm not sure, Trellia. The Glyphs were created by the Atlanteans and scattered all around the sea. For what purpose, I have yet to find out." Ecco tried to stay calm, but Trellia was on the brink of losing her mind.

"But, there has to be some way to find out what is happening! It may not sound like much, but my friends' lives could be on the line, please, Ecco!"

Ecco wanted to help, for his descendant was turned from exhaustion and worry. "Hm. Take me to your time. Perhaps we can find out more."

Trellia was relieved. "Alright, but it will be hard for me. The Glyphs are faltering and losing the strength, that binds a time traveler to their goal. Let me rest."

Ecco nodded his head and looked back at his pod. They were too busy catching fish and being careful not to spill the blood of the big ones in the water, for the Hungry Ones could sense blood for miles.

Ecco didn't want to waste any time, but he did remember a similar thing that happened some time ago. About a week after he defeated the last of the Vortex, all of the Glyphs in his area were starting to glow an angry and painful white. He dismissed it, but then he didn't know as much about the Atlanteans and their mysterious technology as he thought.

Now, he was concerned. Every day they seemed to lose a part of themselves that binds to the sea and the sky. Ecco was skeptical, but worried nonetheless.  
"Alright, let's..." he began, when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Ecco, aren't you hungry?" He turned and saw the sleek form of one of his good friends, Tara, swimming up to him. Tara looked up and stopped in mid-swim. Her good friend Ecco was talking to the strangest looking singer she had ever seen!

"Whoa, who is that? Ecco, is that one of the strange singers you spoke about from the future? I thought you lost your mind when you talked about them!"

Ecco gave a small squeak that was the Delphine equivalent of a nervous giggle. "Tara, this is Trellia, my descendant from the future. Tell the pod I have something to do, and I will be back."

Trellia remained restful and paid no mind to Tara, as she was still somewhat exhausted. Tara smiled. "Alright, I will. Good luck to you, Ecco, and to you, Tr... Um, what's her name again?"

"Trellia. And thanks, Tara." As Tara watched, Trellia once again sang the Song of Transport and she and Ecco vanished in the blink of a fateful eye.

* * *

The cold tides of the future sea were still dark with night, as Trellia and Ecco reappeared in the middle of the sky where Trellia last called her song. Ecco was about to drop, but Trellia remembered that he couldn't float with his mind like the others and caught him in midair.

"Drop me please, Trellia. You need the rest, and I need to take a look at that Glyph." The Glyph under the wave was still shining like the rest of them. They were like the bioluminescent jellyfish that swam the deepest sea, only they stayed mobile. Trellia gave a slight nod as she slowly lowered Ecco to the calm water.

All the while, Trellia couldn't take her eyes off that strange cloud that hovered dangerously under the stars and over the seas. _It is trouble; I know it so_, thought Trellia.

While Ecco was searching under the water, Trellia was using her air-tuned sonar to pinpoint where her family and friends were. She had flown quite far away from them; yet she was able to make out the form of Tiderider in the distance, sleeping so deeply he could have been mistaken for dead. Trellia was trying to remember what made Tiderider so special. He was to be the next leader of the Trella Bay pod, but for what reason?

This stuck for awhile until Ecco called from below. Without her knowing it, the light from the Glyphs had turned off instantly. The sea was pitch black, nothing was visible.

Trellia slowly descended and lifted Ecco, who released a curious squeak. "You were right, something is wrong. All of the Glyphs as far as I could echolocate ripped apart. Every single one of them."

Trellia seemed to spasm in midair, which almost made Ecco drop again. "Oh no, no, no." Trellia cried.

"What's wrong..." Ecco started to say. Then he felt a tickling sensation on his forehead. Just like what happened with Trellia, the stars on his forehead began to dim. Ecco looked up and noticed for the first time the great mass in the sky. "Oh my..." he began.

Trellia followed his gaze. "Yes, somehow it is all connected by _that_." Trellia said sadly. "And what's worse, I can't return you to your time with my song."

This caught Ecco's attention. "WHAT?! Why?"

She hung her head and gave a low, mournful whistle. "The song's power is connected by the Glyphs that hold the power of time travel. Without the Glyphs, I can't use that version of the Song of Transport. I'm sorry."  
Ecco sighed. "That is fine, don't mourn. I think we can find another way. Where did you get this song?"

"From the Asterite, when I first met you. He gave it to me when he told me to get you. I used the song to travel to your time."

"Good. I'll stay here, then we can find the Asterite when the sun yields day."

"Okay. You don't have a choice but to stay here anyway. Peaceful Dream, Ecco."

"Peaceful Dream, Trellia." _I hope, I hope_, thought Ecco as he saw Trellia drift away, her head still adrift with doubt.

* * *

Ecco awoke with a start, remembering he was still in the future. He didn't wake up with the sun on his pale, sleek body and the ocean quiet and peaceful like back home. A great cry for help arose from the sky and rippled the water. Ecco swam up to find out what it was.

All of the Sky Singers were gathered around Trellia, who sent the Song of Gather for the morning. This time, everyone came. Trellia was just finishing up her tale when she noticed Ecco. "As you can see, I have brought my ancestor Ecco from the past to help deal with this."

"Oh, for...you are crazy, Trellia," accused Lera, the most skeptic of the group. No one had believed Trellia when the tale was told, as everyone was under a sleep spell when it happened.

"But..." Trellia began to argue, when another singer flew into Trella Bay. She was squeaking like crazy, and caught everyone's eye.

"Help! Tiderider has vanished! I looked all over the bay, and I can't find him!"

"Perhaps he is swimming out of the bay," offered one dolphin.

"No" said Trellia. "When I used the Song of Gather, everyone within half the length of the Earth should have heard it. Something has happened."

Some of the singers panicked. "Someone took our future leader! It is a sign!"

Ecco stared at all this with interest. Tiderider was kidnapped, and all the others were spared. Just like Ecco was spared when the Vortex took his family. "Wait! Do I have a word in here?" he shouted.

Trellia used her mind to lift Ecco from the sea to the air. The five stars of Delphineus were visible on his brow as the sun started to rise. His eyes again got the wild look of a singer on a mission, of destiny, of determination. "Trellia brought me here to see the Asterite. What she says is true; I have seen it for myself. Whether you believe her or not, we will solve the problem with the Glyphs and this mysterious power which seems to take the stars. Trellia, let's go. The Asterite and fate await us both."

Many of the singers wished them luck as Ecco and Trellia rose up to the Sky Tides. "I still think you are both crazy!" Yelled Lera, but still the dolphins pressed on.

They rose above the Earth, Trellia rising with Ecco in the tubes, as her helium-filled body wasn't used to the pressure of the high skies. They worked together past the Medusa's domain, through the Skylands, all the way to the bay that held the great Asterite. Ecco could reach that depth easily, as he held the Asterite's power within.

Trellia, however, had to take a deep breath before descending with her ancestor into the dark water. At last, the Asterite was in front of both singers.

**I have waited for you, Ecco, and you as well Trellia,** said the Asterite. **Something new is in the sea, as you both may have guessed. **  
"You know about the Glyphs and the cloud?" asked Trellia.

**Everything to the detail of Tiderider's disappearance,** replied the Asterite, with solemnity in its thoughts. **Come in the middle of the helix, Trellia, and I will provide air. There is a long story involved with the Glyphs and you both need to hear it.**

Trellia did as the Asterite said. Ecco stayed where he was. "What is the story about?" he asked.

The Asterite seemed hesitant. **It all started with the Atlanteans' war against the Vortex.**


	3. 3

**Chapter 3**

Ecco listened intently, for he has heard about the war against the Vortex waged on by the Atlanteans, from his first encounter with them. Trellia had no idea as to the significance yet, though she was still determined as Ecco to understand. The water around the Asterite seemed to shift as it began: 

**It was long ago. Before the Vortex intrusion on the Earth. Atlantis wasn't sunk yet; it was still a grand city built above the sea on an underwater island. The Atlanteans loved life on land, sea and air. In fact, it is said they were the first peoples on the Earth with a clear connection to an amphibious way of life. The gleaming crystals called Glyphs were originally created to keep a record of their civilization. They could only be opened by the sounds of dolphins, the only creatures they respected and valued as friends. All was at such peace that there could have been a millennia-long celebration.**

**Then, without warning, the 500-year storm came again and tore life from the sea. When the Atlanteans found out what the source of the storm was, they started to build a great defense, such of which could protect them. It was never finished, however.**

**The sea seemed connected with their distraught. All the dolphins that were the guardians of the gates of Atlantis from the underwater side began to use their great powers of song. The very same power you have, Ecco. All singers had the power at the time.**

**With the Vortex armada distracted, the Atlanteans powered their machinery and empowered the Glyphs to allow time travel, just in case. There was one dolphin whose duty it was to protect the Glyph library, and the Atlanteans used their power and bestowed unto him the Caller's Song. Using it, the dolphin called all the Glyphs to put a protective barrier around Atlantis; some to defend and some to defect attacks. All was going well, the Vortex army seemed to be retreating. Then the unexpected happened.**

**The Vortex came back during the night. Determined to get what they wanted--the rich life in the Earth's seas for food--they broke the defense by first releasing a virus on the dolphin guardians and ridding them of their power. They were defenseless to withstand the attack of the Vortex armada. It was then the Atlanteans had another strategy; to travel through time using the Glyphs and scatter their power all through the tri-dimensions of time: Past, Present, and Future. Determined to help, the Glyph-Caller dolphin used the biggest Glyph, which powered all of the machinery, to rid the Earth of the Vortex. The problem was, that action sealed the Atlanteans' fate.**

**The Glyph Caller used the Caller's Song, gathered all of the Glyphs in one place, and fired a pulse blast onto the Vortex armada. The blast was so strong that it almost ripped the sky and sea apart. All singers lost their power forever. The Vortex retreated for a time and almost ended the war.**

**To some of the Atlanteans, the Glyph Caller was a hero; but to the elder, he disobeyed direct orders and destroyed the strands of space-time. He was sent away to the open ocean to live. He kept his powers, but it was a grim reminder of his mistake. The singers jeered him and forced him to leave.**

**He lived in the open ocean for a while, but then decided to return and beg for forgiveness. When he did, he found the Atlanteans defending weakly against the Vortex army. They needed the help of the Glyphs, and only one dolphin could call them. That was he, the Caller. The Atlanteans begged for help, and the Glyph Caller was happy to oblige for the last time. Using the song, he called the Glyphs and prepared for the last blast. Unbeknownst to him, the Atlanteans never meant to include him in their last records left in the Library. They took their Glyph technology and left Atlantis.**

**Meanwhile, the Glyph Caller was still hard at work. He was maintaining, but very little. The Vortex fired their heaviest blast and sank the continent of Atlantis. The Glyphs were scattered all over the ocean, and the Caller was thrown back against the backdraft unconscious.**

**When he awoke, the Atlanteans were gone and the city of Atlantis lay below his stomach. He searched all inches, but couldn't find a trace of the Atlanteans; save for one last Glyph, which read: "_Space won't falter, the sky stays blue, as long as the Glyphs and their guardian stay within the tides. No matter what the fate_."**

**The Caller was alone. In the sky above, he noticed five stars placed in the heavens at the god's choosing. It was Delphineus, the guardian of the seas and skies. The Caller thought he was no longer needed. He called the last Glyph and used it to seal himself deep within Atlantis, somewhere near the time machine. His descendants wouldn't know for a long time who he was. To this day, the Glyphs always held a mystical power, to help the chosen one fight the Vortex. As long as the balance of power never shifted, the need of the Glyph Caller would never be.**

At the end, Ecco and Trellia were equally astonished. "So, somehow, the power has changed..." Ecco began.

"And the world is breaking." Finished Trellia.

**Correct,** said the Asterite, **but there is a little more to it...**

"There is more? How so?" asked Ecco.

"Yes, although that doesn't explain as to what that dark cloud was." Trellia pointed out.

**Patience, singers...** replied the Asterite. **There is more, but not that much I can tell. I only told you the background of this event. I still have no idea as to the disappearance of Tiderider, nor do I have an idea as to the destruction of the Glyphs. Even if the Glyph Caller exits this world, the Glyphs' power should hold until the end of time. There is still much to find out.**

"That may be all we need to know," said Ecco. "What would you suggest?"

**Well...**

"Please, Asterite" pleaded Trellia.

**As you know, you can't use Trellia to go back to your own time. I can't help because when the Vortex queen dismantled me, part of my powers and memory were lost. The only hope left would be to find Atlantis again.**

"Sounds easy enough. Which way is it?" asked Trellia.  
The Asterite seemed to shudder at the thought of revealing the answer. The very waters around Ecco and Trellia were tense. **I don't know. I told you that some of my memory is gone. I don't even know if there is a trace of Atlantis left in this time.**

_Of course!_ Ecco wanted to slam the rock in frustration. This was so far in the future; Atlantis could be gone without a trace. Trellia looked worried.

**Don't give up, my singers. If you are determined, you may find the city via the water tubes. No matter what time you are in, where there is hope, there is always a way out of the puzzle.**

Ecco looked more determined than ever now. Trellia noted the confidence in his songs that never changed. "Thank you, Asterite. Now, do you have a general direction at least?"

It took every ounce of thought for the Asterite to come up with a guidance answer.

**Yes. Use the sky tubes to reach the top of the Earth. From there you should see a great line of fog to the East. Follow it to the Sky of No Return. Don't let the name fool you, no singer has gone there for thousands of years. You should find your unlikely guides there.**

"Unlikely guides?" Asked Trellia. She was nervous, for every singer knew the Sky of No Return. She has heard stories of the place ever since she first swam the sky. It was forbidden then. Now the trip seemed necessary.

**Go now, little ones. You will break the barrier and save the balance, for I am confident. No time left. Go. The Asterite was tired of talking so much now. The origin of the Asterite is another story entirely, but it was said he was connected to the bringer of life on the planet. If it was hurt, so was he.**

Ecco and Trellia left without another word to leave the Asterite at peace. When they were back to the safety of the surface, Trellia and Ecco immediately arose through the water tube. "Trellia, you seem hesitant," Ecco pointed out, "Do you want to come or stay?"

In one part of her mind, Trellia wanted to stay where it was safe. It seemed best; however, she was almost as reckless as her ancestor was. She wanted to come and keep him company and end this mess. Reckless in battle keeps life, this she knew.

"I will come. This may take great help and luck, so at this point hope is the only choice. I am right beside you."

Ecco smiled, mostly at his own kin's bravado. _She is much like me_, he thought. "Race you to the top, then!" he called. With Trellia close by on his tail, Ecco powered up the tube, heading for whatever was up there.

Ecco and Trellia raced up the sky tube. After hearing the Asterite's story, Trellia wasn't as much in high spirits as Ecco was. He was racing ever higher, at speeds that left the Medusa disoriented. Trellia wasn't too far away from him, and soon enough they were so high it seemed they could touch the sun. 

The Earth was but a beautiful work of art with more blue than anything was. Ecco and Trellia stopped for a rest near the top, where they stared in awe and wonder at the great planet below them. Even in the far future the Earth had one unchanged feature; it had unsurpassed beauty within the drab white and orange of the sky.

Silence. Then, "I'm not surprised at all of this. Still so much beauty, still so much to learn." That was Ecco. His voice was filled with confidence as his gaze still stuck to the globe. High in the clouds, even Trellia had to agree with him.

"Ecco, we can't let this world go to waste. I can't even believe how hesitant I was before."

Ecco turned to her. "I agree. You are forgiven for being hesitant. But perhaps it isn't as serious as you think."

Trellia was sure it was, though; she could feel it. How could Tiderider be gone? What was threatening life now? The Asterite wouldn't send them on their way in uncharted territory without reason. Would he?

Ecco read Trellia's worried look and smiled. "We will find this out. No one threatens the future of my kin on MY watch. We still have to find out what happened to Tiderider as well."

Hearing that name made Trellia worried even more. She gave a small squeak, the Delphine sigh. Ecco noticed that and giggled.

"You care for him, do you not?"

Trellia shuddered in surprise, then blushed. "Heh, perhaps..."

Ecco smiled, but shrugged it off. "Don't worry. We'll get him out of wherever he hides." Trellia seemed to accept this, and they both went off together to the top.

Finally Ecco and Trellia reached the top of the Earth, where all of the sky tubes connected and broke off to the seas. Only one tube, towards the east covered in massive fog and clouds, looked like it was never used. Some parts of it were broken off. The tube looked forlorn and dismal. Sad and neglected. The ocean was conscious and felt, so it may have been long forgotten here.

"That should be our destination," said Ecco. He swam towards the tube. "Come, Trellia."

Ecco swam cautiously through the tube with Trellia trailing behind. "This may be a hard and long trip, so keep close, Trellia."

"Not a problem."

The mist enveloped them, as dusk was slowly setting on the Sky of No Return.


	4. 4

**Chapter 4**

The sky was turning bolder and darker into dusk as Ecco and Trellia made their way through the forlorn and misused sky tube. They were still so high up; the darkness the sun left behind as it set behind the mountains seemed to envelop them as the decent made its way lower. Trellia shuddered, for she was still in doubt. 

Ecco, however, seemed to know the tubes as if he were born here. Actively using sonar, he led the way down the endless miles of the sky water. The land was slowly coming back to them, taking its time.  
  
It was about to turn night when Ecco and Trellia found a break in the tube. The tide stopped moving against them, and Trellia was low enough to help Ecco float in midair. The fog was still so thick, sonar was their eye; never blind.

"Have you ever been here before?" Ecco queried. Trellia was grateful for the broken silence in this wasteland.

"No. No singer is allowed around here. Few tubes were created here, as the seas kept their ancient minds. They never awoke, as if something held them back. There is great danger here, we have all heard of it."

Ecco wondered. "Hm. These seas have been untouched for thousands of years. What danger could still live here?"

Trellia was about to answer, but a break in the fog brought about a possible danger. She stared past Ecco, into the clear sky. Trellia replied to Ecco, "We may find out now. Look behind you."

Ecco turned slowly. Not more than twenty feet away and closing fast, were huge black fast-moving creatures, moving in a loping swimming motion. Stars dotted the sky behind them as they came ever closer.  
Ecco didn't know what to do. Trellia was shivering with fear. "Trellia, do you know those things?"

The creatures moved closer, moving as one, like a pack. "I'm not sure exactly, but I have a grim idea."

"That's more than I have," replied Ecco, "Tell me."

The creatures flew closer. "I heard stories of singers that evolved as we did, through the sky. They once had great intelligence and reasoning. Now they are killers, who lost the power of song. They were as ruthless as the Hungry Ones, but I thought they died out long ago."

The creatures seemed to lick their muzzles in anticipation for a meal. As they moved closer, Ecco noticed something about them that reminded him of Kitnee, the Orca. They had the exact same markings.

"Flying Orcas?" remarked Ecco.

"Yes. Once they were Orcas. Now they are finely tuned killing machines."

Ecco was not convinced. Orcas were singers, and though they hunted dolphins given the chance, they listened to their prey as it sung its last words. Orcas were merciful, with great hearts. These new Orcas had no hearts, it seemed now.

Realizing they couldn't go up against such creatures, Trellia froze in place and muttered a Delphine prayer.

Ecco, however, didn't see the need to give up.

"What are you doing, you will be killed!" Yelled Trellia. Ecco had floated over to the flying Orca-like creatures and started to sing. "Let me communicate, it is our only chance!" Ecco yelled. The creatures kept moving with liquid grace, as the power of song was truly lost. Ecco kept trying, but it was useless.

Then, to Trellia's great surprise, the leader of the sky Orcas stopped and motioned the others to stop. He was huge, with a great dorsal sail that rose to the sky. Twice as big as Trellia, he was so massive. He was scarred in a few places, which marked him as a veteran. He turned to the dolphins and smiled.

"Sorry we frightened you. You must forgive my pod, the power of song is unbeknownst to them."

Trellia was stunned. "You CAN sing!" she marveled. Ecco was satisfied, and the leader went on.

"Yes, I can sing. The story you know of us pertains only to my pod. I am the only one left with the power of song. The others are, as you say, ruthless to ones not our own. We still stalk singers, but this is a special occasion."

Ecco floated forward. "What do you mean?"

The leader cleared his throat. "My name is Teo. I lead the last pod of Sky Killers in existence. We have lived here for years, feeding off the fish and Hungry Ones. Normally we hunt singers as well, but something about you caught my eye, and I ordered my pod to stop. You see, you bear marks on your forehead that resembles our legend of the Jewel Brows. If you are spared from death, you will take one to your treasure. Now, are you the Jewel Brows of legend?"

Ecco laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, Teo, but we are but singers sent by the Asterite to these waters. If you will calmly let us pass..."

"NO! Friend or foe, Jewel Brow, we were appointed by the Asterite to guard this area above the Cape of Archeo. No one may pass."

Ecco stared. Trellia remained up as to listen, for no one dared anger the Sky Killers.

"Cape of Archeo?" Ecco pressed. "What is that?" Ecco was worried that they were going the wrong way all this time. He had never heard of the Cape of Archeo. Trellia had, but she had only as much information on the place as Ecco: None.

Teo cleared his throat again so as to speak. The others of his pod had descended to feed. "Archeo is an old word that means 'ancient'. This place was known as Atlantis Bay a few thousand years back. It is an old seabed that few singers ever went to, for the destruction and waste upon the land had scared them. My pod was appointed as sentries to this spot, so as too see no harm comes to it. The Asterite's word will never be broken, even with two Jewel Brows, such as yourselves."

Ecco moved forward to speak. Trellia stayed a considerable distance away, but still far enough to hold her hero of a great-eons-grandfather in midair. Ecco was grateful for that; he preferred the water, where one is closer to the ground, instead of the dizzying height that was braved every day here.

"Before we get very far, I must introduce us. My name is Ecco; I come from the past. Trellia is my great-eons-granddaughter, and she brought me here. Something has happened here in her time, and we were also appointed by the Asterite to deal with this problem by coming here. With all due respect, I demand that you let us pass."

Trellia was uneasy. Night was falling fast, and as soon as the last star had made itself known in the sky did she grow more scared. Delphineus was visible now in the indigo and ebony sky more than ever. She thought of her love, Tiderider, and wished that he was by her side again, annoying her and at the same time lifting her spirits. What role he played here she had yet to find out.

Despite Ecco's pleas, Teo's statement remained uncertain and hard. "Perhaps if you prove your countenance with the Asterite, I will let you pass."

"The only proof you need is that he told us to come, that our unlikely guides were to meet us here." Ecco answered.

Teo thought a moment. The great sail on his back was poised longer than any small singer; and so were his extra-long flippers and flukes. He was built just like the Flying Singers, only bigger and more hostile. Orcas haven't lost their greatly misunderstood reputation; it was merely enhanced. Finally, Teo spoke.

"That sounds just like us. Perhaps that is proof, but I'm still not..."

Before Teo could finish, one of his pod members came up at high speed from the feeding. He was growling and vocalizing in a traditional Orca sense of urgency. Teo turned to him and used his own new language to ask what was wrong. The look on his face made Ecco interested: Pure concern. Teo was afraid.

Trellia dropped out of her trance and followed Teo to the outskirts of the tubeway. His entire pod was there, staring at the great entity in the sky. _It has returned_, thought Trellia. The cloud came rolling faster, stronger, almost covering the sky. Delphineus was covered again, as well as the North Star. The crimson cloud sent chills up Trellia's back. Suddenly it was as if the sky turned cold and heartless; that it could swallow the Earth. The cloud was bolder than ever, and Trellia even could swear it gave the singers a look of malice as it almost ate the sky. Even the great sky Orcas were afraid. Reality was warped and off-kilter.

"There it is again, the trespasser from Beyond. It has tried for days now to claim the sky. We can't hope to defend against it."

Trellia wanted to cry out loud and stay as far away from the mass as possible. But a gentle knowing look from Ecco made her stay. He floated with Trellia next to Teo and the trembling Sky Killers.

"That would be your proof, Teo," Ecco whispered, "The Asterite wanted us to get to the bottom of this, and sent us to your domain."

Now Teo was convinced. He turned to the two singers. "Ecco, forgive me for doubting your claim. I was testing you, for I have heard of you. The Asterite would never send a lowly singer to save the balance, but a Jewel Brow from the past and his descendant. If you are looking for Atlantis Bay, follow me."

Ecco was relieved, and so was Trellia. They both moved with Teo down the skyway, him in the front of the pack and the other sky Orcas forming a circle of defense around the two singers. If danger is in the air, the safest creature on your side is an Orca. Ecco would remember that as they descended down the other half of the forlorn and deserted water tube. 

Teo led the dolphins down to the Cape of Archeo, formerly Atlantis. Trellia tried to follow, but her eyes stayed on the great mass. Suddenly, she stopped in midair. She seemed to be in a trance; her eyes normally filled with a happy glow had turned pale and dead. Ecco turned back when he found Trellia was no longer with them.

With Teo and the Sky Killers, he raced back to her. "Trellia! Wake up! Come back to me! Trellia!" 

Trellia awoke, but she was not in the world she knew. She floated in a featureless void; nothing but the sound of her own breathing was present. All else took a dark gray glow, not pure white, as if the notions of purity were irrelevant. Adrenaline pumped through her sleek body, heart and mind flooded with fear. "Ecco? Teo? Anybody, HELP!" she cried.

Then, all went silent. Slowly, a great shadow covered the already somber atmosphere.

It spoke, in a language that was hard to understand; one could only understand through becoming one with the atmosphere. Which was hard to do now.  
_Trellia. Trellia. Trellia_. It chanted her name as it moved closer. Trellia was frightened beyond belief. More fright came than an Orca breathing down your neck, poised for the kill.

"What do you want, who are you?" Trellia asked. The shadow stopped.

_Don't go Trellia. Leave the Glyphs be. Leave..._

The shadow parted, and in its place was a form Trellia knew too well.

"Tiderider!" Her love's form was floating before her, lifeless. He wasn't breathing, or smiling at her. Tears fell from her eyes and she felt and edge of weakness. It was as if the shadow could prod her thoughts, her memories, and her feelings. She was not going to be used.

"Enough! What have you done with him? Let him go!" She pleaded and yelled.

_Leave, and the little Glyph Caller will live. Leave..._

There was a blinding flash, and Tiderider was taken from her. "NOOO!" 

"Trellia?"

Trellia's eyes were back to normal again. She was back to reality, staring into the concerned faces of her friends. She glanced up, and let loose a Delphine shriek that pierced the night.

"I can't go! Leave me alone, you can't make me go!" she yelled.

"Trellia, quiet down!" Ecco hissed. Trellia calmed herself with a few deep breaths. She looked at Ecco, and Teo. The lone star on her head was shining with a bright intensity.

"I'm sorry." She said at last. Whatever it was, the threat somehow invaded her psyche and used her best friend as a shield.

Ecco was greatly concerned. He should have pressed her, but decided to let her be. "Come. You must calm yourself. Tell me on the way down what you saw."

Trellia glared at him with a blazing intensity. What she had experienced, she could never heal from. It can't be spoken! Ecco took the look as anger and backed up. Trellia calmed down and sighed heavily. "Alright. Okay. I'm...I'm okay." Trellia swam slowly towards the sky Orcas and laid her head in silence. Ecco was genuinely worried now.

"Come now, singers, we must depart for the Cape," urged Teo. The Sky Killers turned and swam down. Trellia went back to the circle.

"Trellia, are you sure you are alright? Your scream was terrible."

"Yes." That was all she said. Ecco was still concerned. Trellia was not sure of how she was. Her life was in danger, as well as Tiderider's. She muttered the songs of comfort she sang every night to help her to sleep, in a silent plea to the dolphin god Delphineus:

_Help me, help me, help me. The evil one has my love, what am I to do? Someone please guide me. Give me strength._

The singers gave way to the last light of the sun, towards the Cape of Archeo.


	5. 5

**Chapter 5**

The singers and the Sky Killers were making their way down to the bay; the sea was barely visible below them through the fog and dark. The stars were still covered in the sky, but Trellia preferred not to look up again. She had the worst experience in her life from the great red and black entity in the sky. She didn't talk for the entire trip.

Ecco was keeping pace, but he felt he should stay near Trellia; to make sure she has no more breakdowns. "Trellia, please tell me what's wrong. If it has something to do with the Glyphs, it may help us." Ecco pleaded to Trellia, but she only responded with a swift "No" all the way down. Ecco thought her senses would come back soon enough.  
This was to be Trellia's personal nightmare.

Finally, the moon illuminated a dark ocean below. "That, my friends, is the Cape of Archeo," said Teo, "When we land, my pod and I will keep watch above you. Look for what you want, then call us when you are done. Good luck, Jewel Brow."

Ecco felt safe with the flying Orcas above them. Trellia was still quiet. "Come Trellia, we should search here." All she gave in response was a low mournful whistle. 

The bay was indeed forlorn; after so many years, the bay where Atlantis once stood proud even underwater was empty. Nothing was left in the water save a few colored fish and feeding Hungry Ones. Ecco kept his sonar weapon ready, but the sharks were filling themselves with the vast schools of fish; too busy to notice the singers.

Nothing was left here to remind Ecco of Atlantis. The Marble Sea, the City of Fish, the City of Forever, all gone. The time machine was found covered with algae and encrusted with various shellfish; the machine was always pulsating with energy even when off. Now the technology of a long forgotten race was forgotten itself. Atlantis was a ghost town, a hallowed place on a normal sea floor.

Ecco looked as far as his sonar combined with Trellia's could take him; nothing was left in the cold sea. The waves were quiet above, as if the ocean was too sad for this area to not bother with tides. Soon, Trellia was in need of air, and they both surfaced.

"Is this what Atlantis looks like in your time?" asked Trellia. Ecco was grateful once again for the broken silence, but he chose not to show it.

"No. Back in my time it was a beautiful underwater city. Passages lined the walls that could trap one under the surface. Golden fish swam every single one. You should see it; even sunk, it was still breathtaking."

Trellia smiled at the image and forgot about her nightmare for a second. Ecco was surprised that after what she must have went through, she could have smiled at all.

"Come, we should search the whole bay, there must be something here or the Asterite would have never sent us."

Trellia's smile evaporated. "He lost his memory of this place, remember. Who knows if this place will show anything to us." 

They searched for hours, the bay was so big. Ecco was entranced by the eerie silence, for Atlantis was usually teeming with life. The days of happiness were over for it.  
Then, just when Ecco wanted to give up on this Atlantis, the stars on his forehead began to shine brightly, as did Trellia's star. Ecco gazed up at the sky; Delphineus was visible again, and the great sky cloud had started to retreat for the night.

Ready to terrorize again the next.

"Trellia, come on up and look! The sky is clear again." He called to Trellia.

"It is? No, I won't" she insisted.

Ecco was about to scold Trellia about coming to her senses when something in the shores caught his eye. A few feet away from them, in a rock niche, was a faint glow. Delphineus must have led them to the glow, it seemed.

Ecco squeezed through. Trellia stayed near the surface in case the niche had no air bubble within. "Trellia, come in here; I feel air here. You may be able to breathe." Trellia did just that, and was surprised she could breathe. However, it was what they saw in the cave pool that caught her eye.

There was a giant Glyph in the cave; it glowed faintly, and Ecco immediately wondered why this Glyph didn't break like the others. Trellia helped him search for the answer by lifting him into the air bubble. They floated around the Glyph for a while until Ecco stopped them in one spot. "Trellia, look! I don't believe this!"

There, right in front of them was a figure trapped inside the Glyph.  
It was a dolphin, trapped in mid-leap. He didn't breathe, he didn't move, he didn't even blink. The Glyph had the dolphin trapped inside like a prison. The dolphin's eyes were still open, but frozen in another time. This sent chills up both Ecco's and Trellia's backs.

Under closer inspection, the dolphin was shaped just like Ecco, but a little bigger than Trellia. He seemed regal, of great respect. But what caught Ecco's attention was the mark on the great dolphin's chest: an arrangement of stripes in the shape of a crystal.

Suddenly Ecco realized why the Glyph stayed intact while the others were gone.

"Trellia, this...this is the legendary Glyph Caller."

The two dolphins could not believe their eyes. Here in front of them, hidden from all, was the ancient Glyph Caller; frozen in time within the great sea crystal. Ecco's gentle ebony eyes, usually beaming with selflessness, were agape with awe. As was Trellia's.

"Ecco, the Asterite spoke the truth. Here lies the Glyph Caller, after all this time. Do you think he is dead?"

Ecco kept his eyes on the great dolphin as he answered. "No. From what the Asterite has told us, the Glyph Caller holds the power of immortality within. He may just be under sleep."

Trellia wasn't that sure, but she knew to trust Ecco's intuition.

"I wonder...perhaps we could try singing to the Glyph," Ecco suggested.

Trellia whispered her response, for she felt she couldn't disturb the calm and peace of the ancient underwater cavern. "I wouldn't try it. The Glyph is perhaps on the last stronghold. Disturbing it may make things worse."

Ecco shook his head. "It may be our only chance, Trellia. We found the resting-place of the last Glyph, as well as its guardian. If we stand even one chance of hope, we must sing."

Trellia knew better to disagree with her ancestor, for it was his instinct that guided him through foreign seas. No one doubts a pure heart and lives without regret; except for evil ones, who don't live longer afterwards.

Ecco seemed satisfied and turned in midair with Trellia towards the Glyph. He then let out a gentle, communicative blast of song that echoed in the cave with great ease.

Nothing happened.

Then, this time with Trellia, their songs echoed louder; a melodious blast from the sea.

After the rhapsody of echoes, the Glyph still held strong; defiant.

"Perhaps he is dead..." Ecco started to say, when suddenly the cave was hit with a blinding light. It seemed to give life to the cavern walls, and it even illuminated the empty floor outside. Teo, who was still out at watch, saw the light and had to wonder what it was. 

When the singers' eyes had gotten used to the light, the Glyph gave off an ethereal glow, white as pure as an albino blue whale. The light was soothing, and even when it surprised the singers; it didn't hurt their eyes afterwards.

And, to their great surprise, it spoke.

**Which entity has awakened the Glyph of Power?**

Trellia was trembling with great respect, and let Ecco do the talking. Because Ecco was the hero, he had the first right to speak.

"We have awakened you. We are singers, sent here by the Asterite to find help."

The Glyph's voice filled their minds as well as their thoughts. Its song quivered the cavern walls.

**You have been identified through your songs as Ecco of the past, and Trellia of Trella Bay. What trouble brings thee forth from so far?**

Ecco let Trellia speak next. "We have come by order from the Asterite. I brought Ecco from my time to deal with a problem with the Glyphs. If you can help, then why have the Glyphs all failed?"

The light from the Glyph was more intense now.

**The Glyphs are held by my power, the power of the final resting-place of the Glyph Caller. I have no knowledge of their failure.**

"I do not think you are telling the whole truth," accused Trellia, "We saw the Glyphs fail with our own eyes, and I saw one Glyph call out to the Glyph Caller."

**I must guard the Glyphs...**

"Tell us! We must know why the immortal Glyph Caller is held in bondage within you. The Asterite sent us, after telling us the whole story." Ecco's determination was heard clearly in his words.

The crystal finally gave in when it heard the Asterite's name. **The Asterite has sent you? Forgive me for not listening, great Ecco and Trellia. This Glyph is actually my speaking form. I cannot speak to you as I am now, so I am singing through the last Glyph.**  
Ecco and Trellia comprehended this.

"Wait...you mean you are..." Ecco stammered.

**Yes, chosen one. I am the Glyph Caller. I was held within this Glyph for centuries. Long ago, when I sealed myself deep within Atlantis, I was weakened beyond healing. Because I was immortal, I could not die. So, the Glyph held me asleep and lowered my suffering. I cannot be released again without my persona.**

"Your persona?" asked Trellia.

**My soul, my spirit. Without a persona, no one may live, as they should. Mine was lost eons ago, during the last battle with the Vortex. The blast that eventually sunk Atlantis had broken my last defense, scattered the Glyphs, and thrown me back. When consciousness came back to me, I was weak and far into exhaustion. Immortality saved me from death, but I was denied a final rest. I sealed myself into bondage with hope for death, but it never came. Now, though, with the Glyphs' power faltering, I am glad for no death, yet. Now, tell me of the past events if you are able.**

Trellia and Ecco both told their sides of the story. The only thing that was left out was Trellia's ordeal in the cloud. When they finished, the Glyph containing the great dolphin let his light die for a moment in thought. When it came back, the dolphins were awaiting their answer.

**I cannot come up with an answer as to this event. I had a slight sense that chaos was thrown up when I let my attack loose on the Vortex army. I do know I have a descendant in this time that carries the Glyph Caller legacy within. Tiderider, I believe. There is no doubt as to why he was captured.**

Trellia's eyes were now wide open. "Now I remember! Tiderider was to be the leader because the Asterite told us the tale of the Glyph Caller. The others thought he was selfless and brave for his actions, so Tiderider was chosen at birth to be the one!"

**That is true. But the singers do not know the significance of the ability to call power itself. You may know, so you may be of help to me. I want you to go back to your own time and find Atlantis. It is good that you did not destroy the time machine when you had the chance. It may prove useful.**

"We will, thank you. But how do we get back? The Asterite can't help, and neither can the Glyphs." Trellia listened to Ecco as he said this; but she wondered why he said "we".

**I can send you back. Go say goodbye to Teo and the Sky Killers, then come back and I will tell you what you need to do.**

The Glyph was going to fade, but it gave Trellia the answer to her question.  
**Yes, you are going with him, Trellia. You need to accompany him, for it is your love held in bondage within this cloud of destruction.**


	6. 6

**Chapter 6**

Trellia said nothing in response as she lowered Ecco back into the water of the undersea cave. The Glyph Caller somehow put a flipper on her greatest nightmare since the Vortex future. Ecco hadn't heard what was said, for the great ancient dolphin spoke privately to her and her only. Ecco was however worried, for as soon as the Glyph Caller had mentioned the captive Tiderider, Trellia's somber mood came back. Ecco gave her a look that said, "Trellia, trust me. What is wrong?" 

Trellia read his look and replied with one that said, "No."

The light from the Glyph had died down for the moment. Ecco and Trellia were to travel back to his time when the proper good-byes were said to their new acquaintances above the surface. They swam out of the cave and back into the dark ocean, towards the destroyed Atlantis Bay. 

Their sleek heads broke the surface. Despite the calm of the night, Trellia dared not look up again. Teo saw the singers and floated down to speak.

"Jewel Brows, I have seen the light from whence you were. What happened?"

"We have found what we were seeking," Ecco answered. "The Glyph Caller is sealed within the confines of his own body. His persona is missing, and both Trellia and I have to go back to my time. Our true mission has been given to us."

Teo nodded his head in thought. "I knew as much. We have felt great power beneath these waves, despite its forlorn appearance. We cannot simply put into words the significance of such a place. All the more reason to preserve what may be seen as destroyed."

Ecco, Teo, and Trellia were hung in silence. Here was the entire Delphine history, almost fully destroyed. No matter what looks are like, memories are never destroyed and are taken to death. Here lay the spirits of many singers with great stories: Courage, deception, heartache, power, anger, rejoice, all warriors of but one purpose; to survive. And finally, here lay the remains of a race now long forgotten by history. Those who hear dare not speak.

Finally, Trellia broke the silence. "I cannot go."

Ecco turned to her. "What was that, Trellia?"

Trellia's voice was raised. "I cannot go, it is that simple. This great power may help, but no matter what, I have seen what can happen. The darkness took my mind and forced me to listen. Why did fate let me love one who was directly descended from the Glyph Caller, for the darkness has him. I want to save him, but I must think of my family now. The entity gets bigger, and feeds on my fear. Nothing will make me leave them, nothing!"

Trellia stopped and took a deep breath, and her voice was once again slow, soft and seemingly fearless.

"Nothing."

Ecco and Teo hung in suspense. Ecco wondered just how serious this was, and now he knew. His own blood was being threatened by an imbalance, and was using her family and friends as a shield, it seemed.

"Trellia," Ecco said finally, "I had no idea. I will do all I possibly can to see to your family's protection. If you wish, we won't leave just yet."

Teo had to speak now. "That is the closest I have seen to anyone giving up, Jewel Brow. You can't hope to stop it, not without knowing it inside and out. If you stay, you are only going on a defense that will be broken sooner or later. The only way to get to a problem is to get to the source. The source in this case may be too powerful to defend against, so be offensive instead. Trust me, I have fought many battles in my life. Go to your time, and take Trellia with you. My pod and I will see to the protection of your family."

Trellia's look now was priceless, of great surprise. "How are you going to protect them? You have stayed here all of your lives."

Teo gave them a knowing smile. "Not exactly, Jewel Brow. My pod and I have on occasion gone to the top of the world to look down upon the peaceful earth. We have memorized all of the locations and names of the bays we could see. All of them contain singers much like you. I will send a member of my pod to each of those spots, and I will head to Trella Bay. With me there, nothing will pass in or out."

Ecco seemed relieved, but Trellia was suspicious. "How do you know you will not eat my family, or your kin does so to the other singers? The last thing I never thought to trust was a Sky Killer."

Despite the accusation, Teo moved not an inch from his position. "If I weren't to be trusted, I would have killed both of you the moment I saw you. Jewel Brow or not. My pod, even though lacking song, still have a will as strong as the sea."

Ecco saw Trellia's look. "Trellia, trust our friend. Tara once told me all those with song, however big, have hearts that are bigger. She was right, and so am I."

"Ecco, he did tell us of the legend of theirs. He may only be after a reward."

"Trellia, you are of no use to your family if you stay to protect them. If you earned an Orca's trust, you have earned the best protection possible. Faith is the key here."

Teo called his pod back over, and all of them faced the two singers. "The Jewel Brow is right. You must go, and trust us. If you are not convinced, then listen to my story. I had a partner once, my pod mate. She was just like me, one of the last with the power of song. Some time ago, my pod had stumbled into a shallow thermal. It erupted and formed a volcano right in front of us. The heat was scalding, as we tried to escape; I still bear the scar today."

Teo indicated the burn on his right flank near his tail, and continued.

"All of us escaped, except for my beloved. She bore a wound from an earlier Hungry One attack and was slow. I tried to go back for her, but the blast took her away from me. I was devastated; I could have saved her, but I didn't."

Teo's voice was wavering, and tears rolled slowly down from his ebony eyes to the shimmering surface. Trellia and Ecco stared in amazement.

Teo then continued. "I am now the last Sky Killer who knows how to sing, and every night I grieve and pray in song that I wasn't. I lost everything then when I made that decision, of a majority over one. I have only two friends now whom I can truly communicate with. And this time, my decision is final. Everyone survives. No one is hurt or suffered. And finally, I will lose no more from my life. I will fight for what I lost, and now hope to keep."

Ecco smiled slowly, and Trellia was silenced. _None believes that a Sky Killer can have such feelings_, she thought.

Teo still had tears even when he smiled. "And that is why you will trust me. Your family is in the best of flippers with us."

Trellia nodded. "Alright. See to it my family and all our friends are safe. I am only sorry for the doubt."

Teo's tears were just now wavering, but they were still present. "You have my promise, Jewel Brow."

Ecco broke the silence. "Fine. Trellia, you are doing a greater favor for your families by letting them protect the bays of the world. Let's go back now."

Trellia smiled. "Right behind you. Thank you, Teo."

Teo just smiled back. "You are welcome. I wish you all good luck. Fin to heart..."

"Wave to soul," Trellia said.

"Sky to sea, all is whole." They finished together.

The singers said goodbye to Teo as he was calling his pod forth for a mission. "What was that you said, Trellia?"

They dove back into the cave as she answered. "That is the Song of Faith. All singers know the song by heart in my time and it is used for good fortune. I never believed in such, but I may need the fortune to stay on the mission."

Ecco nodded in silence as they faced the Glyph Caller inside the cave, ready to go back to the familiar present Earth.

**Listen, and listen well, singers...**

The two singers listened intently as they floated in the cave. Ecco wanted to help his descendant, and Trellia just wanted her family and friends to be safe. She knew, however, all was safe with Teo standing watch. The Glyph Caller's ethereal light shone brighter than ever, the body of the dolphin still motionless in the prison.

**I will prepare to send you both back to Ecco's world. However, there is one thing you need to know before you depart. First and foremost, Tiderider is not the only one with the ability to use the Caller's Song. I have a descendant in your time that is able to use the power, with sufficient training.**

"Is he or she anyone I know?" Ecco asked.

**Perhaps not. You may have to find the young singer. It is a child, which is all I know. I will give you the song, and you must teach it to the singer when you find it.**

Trellia was about to ask a question, but the Glyph Caller was already ahead of her. **Beware, though, for this song is unlike another. It holds great power that can only be effectively controlled by the ones of my blood. Used otherwise, it could destroy whole stars.**

"We promise not to misuse the song," Ecco said.

**Your promise is not necessary to state. I know already that I can trust both of you, O chosen ones. Now listen carefully, and open your mind.**

Ecco and Trellia both closed their eyes and listened to the melody that was the Caller's Song. The prison Glyph shuddered as the tunes rocked the walls gently. Teo could feel the vibrations from the notes even when he was already halfway up the water tube. Even the Hungry Ones stopped eating and listened to the song. So full of wisdom it was, just like the Big Blue just before he died.

Ecco's heart was open to many memories the song gave him. Songs of wisdom by the whales, whose songs were meant clearly for each other than the rest. Songs of play by the porpoises, who knew not the meaning of hatred and fear. Songs of knowledge by the dolphins, who shared the seriousness of the whales and the rush of peace that made the porpoise leap. All of that, even the cold songs that made the Arctic Singers, the narwhals and belugas, the Orcas as well, all dream of worlds unlike no other, all of that were absorbed by two little singers on a quest. The great invincible sea was, too, helpless in a way.

**Remember the melody, and teach the Glyph Callers of the past. Sing to them of virtue and peace. And find what I have lost, no matter the cost.**

Ecco gave a nod of his head. The stars of Delphineus were beaming with great anticipation. Trellia's brave mood finally came back.

**Farewell, chosen ones.** The Glyph Caller's light faded, and the cave turned pitch black. Below them, an entire seam of space opened up, leading the way through the tides of time. Ecco gave his trademark battle cry and dropped with Trellia into the void. The light future lay behind them, and the singers took not one look back. 

It took a moment to get back home. Ecco swam through a time flow much like a double helix. The singers had to be careful, for a twitch could send them down through a dimension not known to any of them. Their destination lay on the main path, but Ecco could not keep his eyes off the scenes flashing before him. Flashes of the past were unchanged and never meant to be. The future had too many connections to watch; Earth had many possible futures, not just two. 

The flow was finally coming to a stop. "Trellia, how are you back there? If you're going to throw your last lunch, wait until we get there." Ecco laughed.

Trellia gave her ancestor a look of mock dread. "If I do throw my lunch, you are going to be in the way!" She laughed as well.

"Seriously, are you sure you are not dizzy?"

Trellia's look was much like an adolescent dolphin's when worried parents bothered her. "Ecco, I am fine. Keep your eyes on the path." Ecco seemed to be the only one who kept a slightly better view of their journey. Trellia remained serious, though somewhat thrilled from the ride.

The void ended, and the two were back in Ecco's home bay. Ecco leaped high in the air, for it was good to be back to a familiar sea. Trellia remained below.

It was midday in Ecco's time. They swam aimlessly for awhile, wondering how on Earth they were going to find the singer who bears the same power as the Glyph Caller. How do we find them? Will we know as soon as we see? Questions were racing through their minds. 

Soon, Ecco found his pod enjoying a feast of angelfish near the bay. When Tara spotted Ecco, she immediately dashed over to his side.

"Ecco, you have been gone for two days! I...we were worried."

As if on cue, all members of his pod were there. His mother, sister, cousin, brother, a few non-related renegades, and the young ones.

"Ecco, what has happened? The Glyphs around here are faulty, and now you have a very strange singer with you." said his mother.

Trellia stiffened so no disrespect would be given. "I am Trellia. Ecco is my ancestor, and I come from the rightful future of Earth."

The young dolphins were all amazed. The older pod members sang notes of approval to Trellia's advanced shape. Tara paid no mind; she was still next to Ecco. Trellia blushed at all this attention. Finally, Ecco started in.

"Enough, everyone. Trellia is here with me to solve a mystery. It has to do with the Glyphs."

"You mean the crystals? I wondered if something was wrong, you leaving and the crystal cracking," little Radero said.

"Radero, silence. Let Ecco speak." Enuia said back to her son.

"Thank you. Let me tell the story of the past events, then I will have to leave again." Ecco addressed his pod. 

It took almost five minutes or more for Ecco and Trellia to tell their story. From the great darkness, to the Sky Killers, to the Glyph Caller, all of that were retold to Ecco's family.

Finally, Ecco's mother spoke.

"Young one, I fully trust your judgment. If you need help, which I am sure you do, then find Kitnee and his pod. They may help you."

Ecco thought a moment while some of the members got a refill of fresh air. Then, he answered.

"But, all of the Orca pods are swimming north now. I cannot disturb their rights of movement."

Tara smiled. "Ecco, I think you forgot what Kitnee is like. Remember when we were young ones, and all of us, you, me, and Kitnee, swam to find the Big Blue? He is just as adventurous as you and me. Find him, and he will

help."

Ecco smiled. "Tara, has anyone ever told you that you are brilliant?"

"Um, not recently."

"Well, you are. Trellia and I will rest here tonight, and then we will set off north to find Kitnee."

"Let me come too, Ecco. Just like old times, the three adventurous singers on a mission" Tara pleaded.

Ecco's smile evaporated. "Tara..."

"Can I come, Ecco?" Radero asked.

"No, Radero." Enuia said.

"Darn" answered the young singer.

"Tara, it may be too dangerous."

Tara smiled and shot up into the air. She came back down with a belly flop that could disorient another dolphin.

"Dangerous, huh? All the better. You need an army. I can be captain, like always."

Ecco laughed and realized they needed more singers with them much like Tara.

"Fine. We leave at dawn, for the colder sea."

Ecco swam off towards the setting ocean sun, along with his family and friends. Trellia wondered however, if more really was better.


	7. 7

Chapter 7

That night in Home Bay, Trellia was quite restless. The young dolphin had decided earlier to sleep a distance away from Ecco's pod. She was his descendant, and considered family therefore. However, she preferred to keep to herself most of the day, back in her time_. Singers of this time are quite close_, Trellia thought to herself. The members of her pod loved each other just as much as Ecco's pod, but because they escaped danger by long ago rising to the sky, they had no natural enemies. So, the singers were evolving to independence. 

_Well, I am not home anymore_, she thought.

Try as she might, sleep never came to poor Trellia. She kept wondering whether her family was truly safe, just how Tiderider was doing, and most important, what lay ahead for she, Ecco, Tara, and this Kitnee.

Instead, she floated around the bay in silence and serenity. The Glyphs below were glowing faintly and it seemed Trellia could feel their pain. Or perhaps it was the pain she felt because the Glyphs were the point of the matter.

When she wandered from the pod before dusk, Trellia did not want to sleep underwater for fear of Hungry Ones. She was not at all serious to herself for sleeping above the sea, either, for fear that the mysterious darkness of death had found its way to Ecco's time.

She realized that if it had, someone would have mentioned it when the story was told; instead of staring in awe. Gathering her courage, she forced herself to look into the night sky as she has done many times before. It was clear, with millions of stars dotting the sky as the only source of light in the otherwise slightly moonlit bay. A crescent moon hung above, ready to fill itself again. It made Trellia smile knowing the moon's phases represented death and rebirth. _Perhaps both sides, light and dark, would work together and bring us luck_, she hoped.

So, she wandered ever so slowly and held her gaze back to the heavens. A warm breeze covered the bay, due to a pacific warm front. Fish were plentiful this time, and she watched before as Ecco's family gorged themselves with the small colorful dots of the sea. She even snickered at the memory of seeing Radero charge into the school and knock himself straight into two other little ones and his mother.

No fish for the impatient...

Suddenly, Trellia's eyes locked on the various constellations. Pegasus, where the Vortex came from; Orion, the fierce hunter, seemingly reincarnated into the Orca; Leo, Aries, Cancer, and the other Zodiac symbols; Draco, the sky dragon; Ursas Major and Minor, the two bears that point the way north; and finally, Delphineus, the god of cetaceans. Even the Orcas, the largest of the Delphine family, the once-dubbed Singers of the Sniper, had worshipped Delphineus. Trellia wondered whether such thoughts of the past and future and shape of the world had passed through Ecco's hopeful and pure mind.

_Perhaps not_, smiled Trellia. 

She was turning around and searching for sleep once again, when her eyes turned from the sky to the sea. Below her she sensed a presence; using sonar, she found a dolphin.

The dolphin under the waves heard the song and looked up. It was Tara, out for a swim and midnight snack.

"Oh, Trellia, it's only you. You frightened me."

"Sorry. What are you doing up?"

Tara smiled. "I was about to ask the same of you. I was catching a midnight feed. I always take advantage of these fish swarms."

Trellia laughed back. "Hm. I guess I should stay awake the next time the flying fish swarm our bay at night."

"So, what are you doing out here?"

Trellia's eyes filled with thought. "I always stay awake long after the sun sleeps, until midnight, and look at the stars. Such peaceful nights give me comfort, and I consider it a personal ritual of mine to look for my inner peace. I usually find it buried under the stress of day."

Tara laughed. "You are much like Ecco, finding humor in everything."

Trellia cast her a look of doubt. "Not everything, Tara. I always put duty before pleasure. It is my right and privilege; I am one of the higher ranking members in my pod."

Tara turned slightly serious. "Should I bow next time I grace you with my presence?"

Trellia giggled. "No, I allow anyone I meet to address me as they will. No matter what they say, I have something to say back. Under other circumstances, I do not talk at all."

Tara seemed to sigh. "Good. Hey, do you want to come and feed with me? There is plenty, and you didn't eat much last time. Unless you are too tired."

Trellia sank lower. "Was that last sentence a dare?"

"Nah, just a pang of concern. Come on!"

Tara leaped back under the water, and Trellia immediately followed. The two singers dodged and wove through vast schools of fish, in all colors; acrobatic skills were evident in both. Trellia knew she had found a friend in Tara. 

"So Trellia, what is pod life like over in your time, anyway?"

Trellia stopped swimming. "It is a bit more independent than yours. The pod members each have a path to go in the day, free to wander as they please. Males are usually in groups of one or two, and the females are somewhat off alone. I am sometimes off by myself, but sometimes I see my friends and stay with them. Male or female."

Tara giggled. "Do you have someone you care for?"

Trellia blushed and Tara laughed. She answered, "Yes. But he is in trouble back where I am. You know the mysterious crimson fog we told you about? He is held captive there, and I must save him."

Tara's look turned from optimistic to pure concern. "I am sorry. I will be glad to help."

"But please, do not remind Ecco. I don't want pity, even from him."

"Promise" answered Tara in a solemn tone. "I would be just as sad as you, if something happened to Ecco."

Trellia turned to her slowly. "Ecco?"

Now Tara blushed. "Well, better go back to the pod. You should sleep now."

"Yes MOM," joked Trellia.

Tara swam back to the pod, and Trellia finally closed her eyes and let her mind wander. _Interesting, the things I find while traveling_, she thought.

The night was uneventful for Trellia; no nightmares, no dreams, no visions of danger; just darkness seen through her eyelids. All was peaceful, hopeful, and almost perfect. In a time not known to her, she was already comfortable. 

By dawn, the entire pod was gathered around Ecco and Tara to wish them luck on their quest. Trellia happened to swim up into the circle behind them all. Ecco's mother was telling him to please mind his manners if he saw the whales, to be careful with the Orcas, to not get into trouble, etcetera.

Ecco's young brother and cousins were the most excited. "Please tell us all about your adventure when you get back!" they all sang to him. One young one even said, "I am gonna be like Ecco when I am older and tour the seas."

Enuia and Radero were the first to notice Trellia as she was swimming up. "Look mother, the funny singer is here."

"Radero, be polite!" Enuia whistled to her son, whom perhaps didn't hear his mother, as Trellia greeted them.

Ecco smiled upon seeing his descendant. "How was your sleep, Trellia? You didn't have any nightmares, I hope."

"No, thank you. I slept rather serenely."

"That's all fine and well, can we go now?" answered Tara.

Ecco ignored her and the three of them hovered in the center of the circle of dolphins. "Now, can you all fare without me?" Ecco asked the pod.

"You don't worry about us, I will protect the pod and we will not leave the bay," his mother answered. She was the eldest of the pod, the matriarch. Ecco may have been the leader in male terms, but his mother was still in somewhat higher authority. 

"Breakfast!" They all cried. The pod took a break to surface for air, then they all went after the still plentiful fish schools. Ecco, Trellia, and Tara swam together to trap the fish near the surface, in a net made of bubbles from underwater. After the fish were trapped, the dolphins swam in and out of schools, darting and weaving through a kaleidoscope of grand color. Caught up by the feast, a few porpoises joined the dolphins. Usually the small playful singers were only tolerated around the bay, but the fish put all in such high spirits that they were welcomed. Trellia smiled at so much peace between different singers. 

Finally, the three adventurous yet full singers bid their last good-byes to the pod, assured the young ones they will tell of their journey, and put the older ones at ease. These three were young, but trustworthy beyond all imaginings.

The dolphins turned north towards the end of the bay, in the direction of the open ocean. Ecco, leading the charge, shot his silver body out of the water fast as lightning. He whistled his battle song as he crashed back down to the sea, the stars on his brow white with blazing anticipation and energy. Tara whistled her own battle song with the impression of a warrior, and darted after Ecco as he leapt in and out of the water; they were racing towards the unknown. Trellia was not far behind them, and even showed off as she leapt by floating in midair, higher and higher, watching the singers of the past as they only dreamed of flight; as they jumped free of the barrier. 

It was not long before the three had left the bay far behind them. The open ocean was beautiful, yet dangerous; mysterious, yet known. The Shelled Ones on the floor were a blessing to any singer; if they were hurt. If one sang to the Shelled Ones, they would heal their wounds. Fish were plentiful, and some were as large as the dolphins themselves. Those, however, were not even Hungry Ones.

On and on they raced, flippers breaking the air above and the sea below. Trellia kept pace all the way, Tara and Ecco in front. They darted through schools of fish for food, rested their bodies when exhausted, and whistled their content when they were of again. 

The trip was pleasant, but in the open seas, the opportunity for danger was always present. Ecco still possessed powers from the Asterite when a fight came down, but Tara had to defend herself still. Trellia could always float away from danger.

At one point, the dolphins almost collided with a pack of hammerhead sharks, all swimming in one direction. The three were strong, but they couldn't hold off such machines of eternal hunger for long. The sharks swam as one, dozens of them, towards the singers.

Trellia lifted Tara out of danger as Ecco used his song to confuse the Hungry Ones and prevent them from attacking. He still lost plenty of energy just dodging them. When they were all clear again, Ecco swam downward to a Shelled One and Trellia dropped Tara back into the sea.

"Thank you, Trellia. It is useful to have you along for the trip. I could have dealt with them, though."

"Ha, right. Just call me, and I will arise you out of harm's way," she replied.

Ecco came back up, his body energized again as if there weren't any evidence of the Hungry Ones at all. "I am glad you are safe, Tara. You have good coordination, Trellia. Now come, we must still make the most of the day."

The singers agreed and resumed racing towards far-off bays, where the plan was to find another singer able to use the Caller's Song. First thing, though, they had to find the Asterite of this time. He may only know as much as the Asterite within the light future, but it was a leading idea nonetheless. After that, they would find Kitnee. 

After awhile, Tara was bored and exhausted from the extremely long trip. "Ecco, you have been to see the Asterite more than once, do you not know a shorter way there?"

Ecco sighed. "No. The first time was as long as this, up to the northern seas and back over. The next few times I used transporter rings to take me the next few miles without using up my energy with at least twenty strokes of my fluke. For some reason, though, the rings have disappeared. For now, we deal with the long way."

Trellia was listening in to the conversation and laughed at Tara's impatience. They pressed on during the day, past the Shadowless Hour, into the time when the sun was only thinking about dusk. The singers ate, avoided sharks, raced through the rip tides, and watched as the moon took shape in the darkening sky. Their silvery sleek bodies shined and glared in the sun's bright intensity, as still they powered in and out of an ocean that was cooling fast.

Soon enough, after days of hard-paced swimming, the grand songs of Orca wound their ways into the heart and souls of the trio. Even keeping watch from the sky, Trellia's sleek body felt tremors of fear upon hearing the hunting notes of the killers...a Transie pod no doubt of it. She stole nervous glances at her ancestor and Tara, but the two powered toward the sound, confident in their journey. She trusted them...they were the only help she had...

Soon, the black and white bodies of the Sniper Singers were full within their sights. The leader of the pod, a large battle-scarred male with a tall proud dorsal fin that sliced effortlessly through the churning water, sensed the dolphins and ordered his pod to surround them. The whole lot looked upon the dolphins in potential hunger, but was prepared certainly to hear their words.

"Speak now, little ones, lest you make a fast meal for my pod to devour," the male growled.

Ecco, in the lead as usual, pushed Tara away just as she looked about to charge the brute. His forehead lowered, and in the eyes of a gasping crowd of Orcas shone the five points of Delphineus on his brow. His head came up with a grin on his beak, knowing now that the creatures wouldn't dare try to kill the hero.

"Ecco...my, what an honor it is to encounter you and your comrades...you are on a mission, I trust?"

"We are," he answered, "On our journey we've heard depressing songs of the great whales, and gathering about the oceans are many pods and many Singers, hoping to ban together against a new darkness approaching. We've indeed sensed it. Know you where the Orca Kitnee is present?"

"Over here!" grunted a new voice. As the crowd of Singers backed away, they revealed a young Sniper Singer, whose countenance Tara and Ecco easily recognized as their childhood friend. Trellia, believing it to be safe, slowly lowered herself into the water as they sang their greetings.

"You've grown a lot since we've last seen you, Kitnee," Tara pointed out.

He nodded and turned to Ecco. "It is wonderful to see you again. My family has started their migration to the far reaches of the north, so tell me, what do you seek me for?"

Ecco smiled. "Kitnee, Tara and I, and my descendant from the far future, Trellia, wish for you to aid in our quest. The glyphs far and wide are faltering, and with it the strands of time itself."

"Wanna come along?" Tara added.

The young Orca nodded slowly, singing with thought. "It would be an honor to travel with you again, Ecco...but I am not sure..."

The pod leader nudged Kitnee. "You may go with them, my son. The Great Ecco wishes for your help, so shall you give it. Besides that, remember, you have something to give to him."

Kitnee's eyes widened. "Oh yes, of course! Thank you, Father."

With a fond song of farewell to his departing pod, Kitnee turned to his friends. "Ecco, take a glance at my left flipper and carefully unwind the pendant from it, won't you?"

He did so, and when it was fully unwound, they beheld a small, shining stone in the shape of a glyph with runes of Atlantis etched upon it. The amulet pulsated with energy and light. "What is this?" Ecco inquired.

Kitnee shrugged with his flukes. "I found it while we were passing the waters of Atlantis. It seemed to call to me, so I became its messenger, I guess. It has to be important, as it hums when a glyph is near. Since this has to do with the strange crystals, I suggest we keep it."

Ecco let the crystal sink down until the band holding the crystal was carefully wrapped around his neck. "You've good powers of observation, Kitnee, perhaps it'll help."

"Indeed. Now, let us travel."

Ecco nodded. Tara muttered, "Finally," and Trellia without a word for herself leapt from the waves and hovered in the air.

Things had gotten more interesting.


	8. 8

Chapter 8 

_Yet another time we have an Orca aiding us_, Trellia thought.

Many days had passed since Ecco, Tara, Trellia and Kitnee finally made their way towards the Asterite's bay. They kept an ever-vigilant watch for danger day and night. As they traveled, the oceans were growing more open, and they could see Singers of every kind swimming along the currents. Small Singers leapt and played with effortless ease in the surf near shores, and some even rode the bow waves of the whales as they swam peacefully to some unknown destination.

Trellia stayed beneath the sea with her ancestor and friends. The melodic songs of whales had not been heard for thousands of years in her time; yet she was the only Sky Singer who had now witnessed them. For three days and three nights Kitnee had led them through different seas in an effort to find the Asterite, but in short his way was just as long as Ecco's was once before.

Tara was most impatient, but determined to help Ecco in any way possible. Trellia most wanted to hurry, for she hadn't forgotten about the danger her time faces. She worried for her family, about Teo and the Sky Killers, and about Tiderider most of all. Ecco, the strange Atlantis amulet still in his possession, helped lead the hopeful ones ever closer to their goal. And Kitnee was just proud to be swimming with his friends again. On their way they saw many strange and wonderful ocean lifeforms: A Hungry One as big as a whale, yet gentler than most of them...many colored shellfish and corals...ocean canyons so deep nothing could perhaps live there...and many more to prove the imagination wrong.

At one point they saw a small group of the Great Blue Singers, largest of all. Seeing them reminded Ecco, Tara and Kitnee of the Big Blue. Yet only Ecco witnessed the great whale's death in the north...after he told him of the Asterite. Trellia marveled at the strength and majesty of the whales, and wondered why she never saw even one in her lifetime before. The sun was it's highest in the sky when the four singers stopped to eat. It was only another day until they arrived at the Asterite. Trellia was extremely grateful, for she has been having many disturbing dreams that she demanded needed explanation.

The singers stopped at a tropical bay for a food break. Ecco, Trellia and Tara could easily eat the fish and small squid swimming in the bay. Kitnee growled. "Hunger strikes me again," he muttered.

Trellia, who was still somewhat nervous of Kitnee, decided to hover above the surface for a minute.

"I'm so hungry...I could've eaten a Small Singer,"  
said Kitnee.

Ecco and Tara stared. "Kitnee, I thought you were a Resie," they pointed out.

Kitnee shrugged his fins. "I have habits from both my mother and father. It's a rather long and strange story, but my father is a Transie and my mother...was...a Resie."

Tara and Ecco exchanged surprised glances. Resident Orcas hardly ever bullied the other Singers, let alone ate them, but Transients were just about ruthless. The two hardly ever came in contact. Kitnee, like his other friends, was unique.

"Well, anyway, I wouldn't probably be that hungry, ever. But what I wouldn't do for some..." Kitnee stopped in mid-sentence. A big grin came to his black and white face. "...SEALS!" he screamed with excitement. He immediately raced towards where he heard seals dropping from the nearby rocks to the bay. Ecco and Tara laughed, and resumed chasing the fish. Trellia, after some lurking, joined them.

It was night when Trellia fell asleep earlier than usual. She could hear idle drifting at the surface that was her friends; they decided to go into half-sleep like always as to avoid any trouble. Because she was inclined to the safety of the air, she could close both her eyes when she slept.

That night, after hearing other cetaceans singing to the stars, she dreamed of her home, and being back with her family. She dreamed that Teo's pod could sing, and they too were happy. However, night by night, Trellia's nightmare was being revived. Long has she now tried not to remember what had happened to Tiderider, yet she was not safe in her sleep.

During the day, she noticed the amulet her ancestor wore glowed faintly whenever they passed a Glyph. Ever since Kitnee gave Ecco the amulet, Trellia dreamed that her time was in ruins, that Teo and her own families were battling an unseen force, that the Glyph Caller would be released, that someone was to die. This made her extremely worried. Was it Tiderider?  
"Trellia, you still alive up there?"

Trellia awoke to Tara's voice, and joined her friends down below.  
Kitnee smiled. "I trust you had a good sleep. We should go now, we have only one day until we reach the Asterite, we must make time."  
_No rush here_, Trellia thought. Knowing, though, that there certainly was.

_Oh no, it begins again. Where am I? HELP!_

__  
  
**Trellia. Give up now, it is hopeless. Your mind will fall...**

******  
**_Don't do this, whoever you are! Leave my time alone! Nooo!_

_  
  
_**Give up, give up, give up...**  
  
_TIDERIDER, WHERE ARE YOU!?_

__  
**Leave...******  
  
Trellia awoke with a start. It was exactly midnight, stars easily visible next to a half moon. Looking at the stars made her afraid again...that she was almost weak from worry. She looked down and saw Ecco and Tara sleeping almost soundly down below her. Kitnee was a few feet from them, belly full of seals.

They looked so peaceful in the blackened ocean surface. Trellia started to cry, for she may have known at that moment what was going to happen. The darkness will come to Ecco's world, and hers is doomed. Unless they find the Glyph Caller of the present, and quickly. And someone's life will be lost in the process.  
  
"Wake up, singers! We got until dusk to reach the Asterite, so keep pace!" Kitnee reminded everyone. 

"I know I can keep pace with you, O mighty one," joked Tara.

"I am fine, thanks," Trellia said.

Ecco was serious. "Alright, we have to move now. I had a most disturbing dream, and I'm told to hurry." Trellia caught a glance from Ecco to her. _So, he sees it too_, she thought.

So, the singers went along the currents of the open seas. They passed many other cetaceans coming into alliances for whatever they could tell was coming. Trellia was still much entranced by the beauty of the oceanic surface; rolling as if it were alive. And in a sense, it was. Kitnee led the others throughout the day, and at dusk finally came to a darker portion of the sea.

Ecco knew this place well. They were nearing Lunar Bay, the port for the last invasion of the Vortex. Even with them gone, there's a feel to the place and surrounding areas that makes any other singer want to leave after three seconds. "I can lead now, Kitnee. This place is called the Moray Abyss. The Asterite resides here at the moment; take a deep breath, then follow me down. And be careful." Trellia, Kitnee, and Tara fell into line behind Ecco as he led them through the semi-dark depths of the Moray Abyss.

"Ecco, how far down is the Asterite?" asked Tara after a minute.

"You need not fear your breath. The Asterite has air within him, and when you are in his presence you can breathe yet swim. It's not much further." Soon, all four of them were in a small canyon on the seabed. When Ecco first arrived, giant eels guarded the remains of a shattered Asterite. He still wondered if one would come charging out of the walls.

**Ecco!** ****  
  
The singers stopped. There was a voice arising out of the canyon that invaded their imaginations. Ecco sang back, and his voice echoed across the barren canyon walls. **Ecco, is that you? Come down, I've been expecting you, my friend!** ****  
  
The singers made their way down to the great entity, the Asterite. His appearance was somewhat different from the future, or that last time he met Ecco. The Asterite, still a mystery, is still one lifeform of the ocean among many. He'd fit in such an alien place. **Ecco, Tara, Kitnee, Trellia, it is good to see you all. It is always good to see such pure hearts in times of peril.** ****  
  
"Peril? Do you know what's been happening lately?" Ecco questioned. **Indeed I do. I have heard songs of the whales from Atlantis. They speak of a shadow descending upon our present, and the future worlds die...fallen under their own miscare.**  
Trellia began to shake. Kitnee and Tara stared on with interest, and Ecco kept questioning the Asterite. "What do the whales speak of?" **Enslavement in a crimson cloud, rolling slowly by the night. Trapping all it sees, destroying lands, invading seas.** ****  
  
"STOP!" Trellia shouted. "That's exactly what's happening in my timeline! First the Glyphs shatter, then a bloodred sky, then...death. My dreams tell me this." Tara and Kitnee looked concerned. Ecco seemed satisfied that he, too, dreamt of it. **Trellia, you are correct, I'm afraid. All of you open your minds. I will show you what my future self sees.** **  
  
**They did just that. What came to their minds was pure terror.

The beauty of the future world, ruined. Under cloud-filled sky, red as blood, the seas grow dark and terrifying. Inside the waves, clouds of dark ghosts descend like an armada. Lands are blown apart, the moon invisible. Every Sky Singer fleeing, and caught by the warriors made of nothing. The Asterite of the future captured and held against his power. Sharks and fish, singers of all kinds, taken in their sleep. And in the midst of it all, Teo and the Sky Killers lay in the middle, fighting, protecting, and losing.

All four singers shook out of their trance. "Oh no...no, no..." Trellia murmured. Ecco hung his head in silence and tried to hold back tears. Tara tried to stay tough, and Kitnee was overwhelmed at how the future Orcas fought valiantly against the threat. **My singers, this is happening now. If this isn't taken care of, the future will contain less life than the Vortex future. Time itself will collapse onto itself.** ****  
  
"WHAT WILL WE DO THEN? TELL US!" demanded Trellia. **Calm yourself, Trellia. A clue to your goal lies at Lunar Bay. That is where you must go next.** _I knew I should have stayed home_, Trellia thought.


	9. 9

Chapter 9  
  
**I wish you the best of luck my friends. I'm sure the crimson shadow forces will have met their match.**

****   
  
"Where will you be, Asterite?" asked Ecco.The Asterite seemed to quiver. **I shall try and make it to your Home Bay, Ecco, where your pod is. I must rest first, though...these time consistencies are linked with me, remember. I doubt I can travel far in my current condition...I am weakened.****   
  
**Nobody bothered to ask why, as they were in a hurry. "Thank you, Asterite," Trellia said.**One...one more thing, young singers. As you pass through Lunar Bay, you'll notice the moon is part full. As with the Vortex, the sky warns of danger there. You have only...until...the next harvest moon...to...find...the Glyph Caller's...scion. Go.****   
  
**"The next harvest moon...that's in just three days! We must hurry!" called Kitnee.  
The four singers started up the canyon. Ecco stopped to look back.**Don't stop Ecco, GO!******   
  
Ecco nodded and powered up after his friends and descendant.  
  
Time was short...in record time, Ecco and the others reached the borders to Lunar Bay. As they swam onward, Trellia noticed the Glyphs taking on a heavy glow. They seemed to be crying out, like back in her time. The nervousness was stressful for everyone. Ecco wondered whether or not he'd accomplish anything this time. Trellia worried much for her family, her friends, the Sky Killers, and Tiderider. Will she ever look into his humorous, gentle eyes again?Tara grew more concerned by the day. _How can Ecco and Trellia have prophetic dreams, whilst I have nothing to go by_, she thought. Kitnee wondered mostly about the well being of his friends and about the Orcas of the future, out of curiosity.  
  
Finally, they could see the moon looming over the bay, larger than any celestial body Trellia had seen; before the dark clouds."Lunar Bay. Stay close..." Ecco started to warn, when suddenly a dolphin swam up and surprised them. It was the mysterious Shadow Ecco, created in Ecco's likeness by the Asterite to tell him before of the Asterite's breaking apart. However, he became more lifelike, demanding fish from Ecco whenever they met again. Shadow Ecco was more like Ecco's doppelganger.  
"Let me pass!" demanded Ecco."Give me a fish!" said his copy, in the same tone of voice.Ecco sighed. He swam down and returned again with a small blue fish, the only kind the imitator seemed to favor.Shadow Ecco charged and grabbed the fish, and then swam off.  
"Impolite, isn't he?" asked Tara."Pay no mind to him, we must move on," Ecco pointed out.  
The singers swam for a little distance before they came upon another dolphin pod. Ecco was surprised a pod could live in such a place as Lunar Bay."Greetings, fellow singers!" Ecco called out. The dolphins stopped leaping and stared with surprise. When they saw Kitnee, they had the urge to scatter...as they saw Trellia, they were bound by curiosity.The leader swam up to the singers. "I am Lonus, leader of this small band of Lunar Cast Singers.""Lunar Cast?" asked Tara with some skepticism."Yes. Named so because we only live here in Lunar Bay."Indeed, these singers were different. Each had dark indigo skin and markings of magenta on the fin tips and flank. Their singing sounded like the dolphins of Atlantis...remainder of an ancient type. There were four present."I have never heard of such singers. My name is Ecco, and this is Tara, Trellia, and Kitnee."Lonus bowed. "The great Ecco, in our presence. Honored we are. And forgive us for not telling you of our origin...we used to be descendants of the Atlantean dolphins...but along the line was a break."Ecco interrupted. "Atlantis? Then you may be able to help us. We come in search of a singer able to wield an ancient song, the Caller's Song. And we must find him before the harvest moon, the Asterite sent us."Lonus's eyes widened. "The Caller's Song? I was told of the Glyph Caller's melody...I know of it, I'm a direct descendant. I used to belong back in the Pacific...near Home Bay.""Hold on, we never heard of you," accused Tara."Indeed. I lived there around the time of the 500-year storm. I was separated from my kind, and never found my mate since. I hear songs of her's and my unborn calf's health, but I never found them again."Ecco had a funny feeling of this dolphin. "Just curious, but if you don't mind me asking, who is your mate?"Lonus closed his eyes. "Her name is Enuia."Ecco clicked. "I know of her! She and her son are part of my pod! She joined after I defeated the Vortex for the last time. She claimed she was lost..."Lonus was surprised. "Enuia's alive? And my calf is a male? And you know her..." the dolphin was about to faint."Take it easy, old one. Yeah, we know of her, and that troublesome calf of hers," said Tara."My calf...what's his name?" asked Lonus eagerly."Radero," said Ecco.Lonus smiled. "Take me to them.""How? We can't go back to Home Bay within three days, that's crazy!" Tara cried."I know how we can get back within one day," said Lonus.All was quiet. "How?" asked Trellia."There's a way from Atlantis. Follow us."  
With no time left to spare, the singers followed the pod of Lunar Cast Singers to nearby Atlantis.

Atlantis was not far off, a few miles or so, but the singers were showing impatience. They had much to do.

In the lead was Lonus, leader of the Lunar Cast Singers. He and his band led the others. Trellia hung above the surface and watched her ancestor, Ecco, and Tara as they swam alongside them.  
The sun was high in the sky now; so much so that it cast a great amount of light upon the ocean surface. Trellia could easily see Kitnee's strong, black body as he swam along, graceful and powerful as the others, maybe more. His tall dorsal fin cut through the surface; he could have been mistaken for a Hungry One at a distance.After a moment, Lonus was a bit bored. He glanced above the surface."Trellia, I hope you don't think me rude for asking, but what singer are you?" he asked.Trellia snapped out of her somber state. "I come from the future. Every singer will evolve as I have, to fly free of the waves. I am scion of Ecco, long into time."Lonus nodded his head. "I could have guessed you were descended of Ecco by the lone star on your head...a marking much like his. Bottlenose Singers of his kind are rare, but I heard that they were plentiful in Atlantis. Each class of Singer had their own powers. Sadly, he is but of the few left with such abilities. You and he are quite special."Trellia blushed, but kept going without another word. Lonus too went back to business.  
  
"Ecco, is Atlantis really as you say?" asked Trellia."Yes. You'll see."  
Suddenly, the amulet Ecco carried around his neck started to glow. A Glyph in the area, which seemed to be breaking, healed slightly. Lonus called the singers to stop, and a great golden gate appeared right in front of them."Singers, I present to you the lost city of Atlantis!" he announced."Open it already!" yelled Tara. Kitnee swam forward, and Trellia leapt back into the water. The singers gathered, and Lonus turned to the gate.He started to sing. The melody slowly opened the doors. Then, every singer who had never seen Atlantis previously had wide eyes. They beheld it, finally.  
  
The dolphins toured the ruins. Below them, labyrinths of marble and coral lined the sea. Above them, great walls of gold towered above them like castles on land...noble, powerful, majestic. HieroGlyphics lined the walls and told cryptic tales of the ancient past.Trellia was held at most awe. The surface was still as stone, except when interrupted by wind. She saw the fish, which gave a golden amber hue. She gazed at the buildings and stone lining every inch of the bay for hundreds of yards. How such a place couldn't last forever stuck in her mind.Kitnee had never entered Atlantis before either, and wondered whether Orcas were even allowed in such a peaceful place. He then remembered when he was young the tale his mother told him about living in bays alongside dolphins. How she met his Transient father, how the Resies and Transies went to war, how his mother and father went off on their own, how when they returned few members of both pods were left. How he was born to them, how his mother died when he was young. Kitnee kept swimming as Trellia, head full of thought.The singers had to swim for a few minutes before Lonus got them to their destination.  
"Listen up everyone. Ecco, Trellia, Tara, and...Oh, Kitnee, come with me inside this chamber. My pod, stay here. It may not be safe."The other four Lunar Cast Singers swam off, while Lonus used his songs to open the chamber. Once inside, they came upon a great portal, similar to the ones Ecco swam through to teleport him, but much bigger."This portal will take us to wherever you please. Just sing to that Glyph to tell it, that's where we'll go," Lonus informed."Your show, Ecco, you take us back," said Tara."And please be careful," Trellia added.Ecco swam up. As he did, the amulet once again started to glow. The Glyph stopped glowing, enough for Ecco to start the process. A blast of song, and the portal started to turn.  
"Everyone inside, quickly!" ordered Lonus. Ecco and Tara swam in first. Trellia nervously followed, then Kitnee, then finally Lonus. The portal closed, and they started back towards home. 


	10. 10

Chapter 10  
  
The portal was just as Ecco remembered the rest; it quickly deposited them near Ecco's bay. It was as if they weren't even back at Atlantis.

"Maybe I'll swim back home the old way next time," Tara said. Kitnee nodded. Trellia and Ecco were still caught up in the rush."Lonus, are you with us?" Ecco asked."Yes. Now, lead me to your pod, I must see my mate and son."Ecco nodded and led the other singers around the coral, under the rocks, and back into the bay. On the way, Tara decided to charge a school of fish. When they finally reached Ecco's pod, they stopped."Let me go first," Ecco said, "so there's no confusion when Kitnee or Lonus comes around. Tara, you come with me, the rest stay put."Ecco and Tara sped around the corner. Trellia and Kitnee noticed Lonus shaking. _He must be quite excited_, thought Trellia, _about to see his long lost mate and son again.___   
  
Ecco sang to his pod, and they immediately stopped swimming. They sped over to where he was."Ecco! Tara! We've been quite worried about you!" exclaimed his mother, "Did you find the Asterite?""We have. He tells us dark times are coming," Ecco answered.Ecco's mother and the entire pod hung their heads. "We know. We hear the songs of the Great Ones from far away. They tell of a warning from Atlantis via the Glyphs.""Ecco, where'd you get that jewel around your neck?" asked Radero.Ecco smiled. "You'll see. Oh, you remember Trellia, right?""Yes, we do.""Trellia, you can come out now! And Kitnee?""He's welcome too, if you bring him."Ecco called over Trellia and Kitnee. Then, Ecco asked for Enuia. "She's over there, hunting I think," Radero pointed.Ecco swam over to her. "I'm back, Enuia."She stopped swimming. "Welcome back, Ecco. Did my son give you any trouble?""No. Listen, what do you know of your mate?"Enuia was somewhat surprised. "His name was...let me think...Lonus. He was an ancient Atlantean Singer, I think. I lost him in the great Vortex storm."Ecco grinned. "Could you come with me, Enuia?" She seemed skeptical, but followed him anyway."Stay there," he instructed, "Radero, you stay with your mother. There's someone I'd like for you both to see." Ecco swam off behind the coral, and Enuia was dumbstruck. He couldn't have he?  
  
After a minute, Ecco finally returned. Enuia was frozen...she couldn't believe her eyes. There in front of her was her mate. Lost forever, now back from the dead, it seemed.Lonus was even more surprised. There was Enuia; there was Radero beside her. The Lunar Cast Singer could barely move."Ecco, who's this?" asked his mother."You'll see."Enuia swam closer. "Lonus? Can this be a dream, or is it reality?""I sure hope it's reality," answered Lonus.They stood staring at one another, until Enuia charged forward.  
  
Lonus and Enuia were overjoyed. For a few minutes they swam around each other to make sure they were both real. Then, Lonus kissed her.  
  
"I think I might be sick," muttered Tara. Ecco nudged her and winked.  
  
"Radero, come over here and meet your father!" exclaimed Enuia happily. Radero pumped his fluke towards them.  
  
Ecco smiled. He was happy to finally reunite them again. Trellia nudged him, a look on her face said, "We still have something to do." Ecco's smile faded.  
  
"Enough of this," he announced, "Everyone, the Asterite told us of trouble. Let me tell you about what he said, and what we must do."

"And that's what happened up to now," Ecco relayed. He had just told the pod of the events from the beginning to upon his returning. Throughout the whole story, Trellia was shifting nervously, and kept a stern look in her eyes. She was thinking of Tiderider, of Lera, of her entire pod. _I hope and pray that no one has been hurt_, she thought.

Ecco's mother wasn't that satisfied. "But Ecco, is that the entire story? I know you have been gone for many days. Have you not found the singer you were seeking?"The stars on Ecco's brow took on a great glow as he smiled. _They're going to be quite surprised_, he thought. "I believe I did, Mother."Lonus was listening in earnest along with Enuia. He was one of the last of the dolphins of ancient Atlantis, and has heard of the Glyph Caller's heroism. He many times thought that he was descended from the great dolphin. Now he was most likely about to find out.Ecco continued. "Here's what I know. The Glyph Caller, who lies dormant in Atlantis even as we speak, met us in Trellia's time. He has told of a descendent of his that lives in this time. One who is young, but with the potential to wield the Caller's Song.""And?""Well, before we returned, we met a group of singers in Lunar Bay, one of which was Lonus. He revealed a secret way to Atlantis, which led us here. On the way, the Glyphs seemed to glow with our presence. I suspect it was because of this amulet, but perhaps not."Trellia interrupted. "Wait, don't you remember that both the Asterite and the Glyph Caller said a YOUNG singer has the potential. When they said young, I got the impression of a calf. It can't be Lonus.""Then it must be..." Ecco, Tara, Trellia, Kitnee, Lonus, Enuia, and the rest of the pod all turned to where young Radero was staring at a Glyph in the rock. As he sang to it, it didn't break as the rest did when sung to. Instead, it healed somewhat; which yielded great surprise from the entire pod. Radero turned to see all eyes upon him."What did I do now?" he asked with nervousness. Ecco approached him."Radero, try this amulet on." Ecco let the amulet drop, and Radero caught it. He didn't need to put it on to find evidence...the small crystal gave off an ethereal glow, not as brilliant as the original Glyph Caller's crystal prison, but impressive nonetheless. Ecco was satisfied.

Enuia glared at them. "The evidence is only circumstantial! My little Radero can't possibly be the one you have been seeking all this time, no way!"

"Relax, Enuia," Lonus calmly assured her, but she was still shifting with anger.Ecco was greatly unsure now. How can a calf young as he possess the power? But, he was about to turn adolescent. Surely they could wait...but what about the limit? Now everyone had only two days to teach the song and restore the eternal balance.The entire pod was speechless with confusion. They knew not if young Radero was the one. No one had an idea of what to say or do, the sea was deathly quiet.Trellia finally spoke up. "Perhaps we could take him to the Asterite and see?"  
"That would take more than two days," Tara pointed out.Suddenly, a great song broke the near silence. The pod turned to the open seas to see a huge Sei whale approach them. The singers stood at attention as the Great One let out a thunderous roar. "Where is the singer called Ecco?"Ecco swam forward. "Here I am.""I carry with me the Asterite, he wishes to speak with you and each of your friends."Ecco was puzzled. "I don't see the Asterite."Then a voice rang out in each of the dolphin's minds: **It is I.**

**  
**The whale seemed to fade, and there in front of all the dolphins stood the Asterite. **I bring fast news, my friends. I received information from both my future and past entities. Both are in trouble.**

As soon as the Asterite made the announcement of trouble, all turned deathly quiet. Lonus, Enuia, and the rest of the pod listened in earnest (with the exception of Radero), Ecco and Trellia had stern determined looks in their eyes, Tara's was that of nervousness, and Kitnee was anxious.

"What trouble do you speak of, Asterite?" asked Ecco with some quiver.**My singers, I bring devastating news of the past and the future. Ecco, first of all, why did you not destroy the Atlantean time machine as I had asked?******   
  
Ecco closed his eyes. "For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to destroy it. I know, it may alter time if anyone can access it, but I just had to use it, one more time.""Why? This may be important, Ecco!" Tara accused. All eyes were now on the Singer with the marking of the starbeast, Delphineus, upon his melon. Ecco felt that he was but a mere member of the pod again...not the leader."I...I used the machine to travel back to the time of Atlantis, to try and uncover some secrets. While there, I guess I spawned a few myths that the Atlanteans tell of dolphins. I then tried to destroy the machine then, but I instead changed its settings to return. After I had defeated the Vortex, I didn't think I had a purpose again. Now I know I do. That's why I came back..."**And?**"And...I guess...I didn't want to destroy the time machine...I felt it may be of use again one day."  
At this, the entire pod were murmuring amongst each other. Some thought Ecco brought this great trouble upon them, but didn't want to think that. Still others thought that his instincts were pure. However they thought, they only had a day and a half now to teach the Caller's Song to the chosen one...the long-time scion of the Glyph Caller himself.Angered by the scorns of some of the pod, Tara swam up to Ecco's side. "Ecco...listen...I know I'm not always this...well...""Tara, please stop stuttering," Ecco stated and smiled."Oh, fine. Listen, I hope you noticed that you kept us alive, even after all this. I hope you noticed that no matter what, you will always be the hero of the seas. Finally, I hope you know that we're all waiting for you to take the glory again...so...and this goes for all the pod too...get that hopeless look out of your eyes and come up with something! If you please."Trellia swam up, too. "I too am with you, Ecco. No matter how harsh my nightmares."Kitnee swam up next. "Ecco, my friend, I'll be there too."Every singer then stopped talking under breath and nodded. Ecco beamed with pride, and with hope. "Asterite, I apologize for not heeding you when I had the chance. But, I think I did the best thing."**I'm sure you have, Ecco. You are right, we need the time machine now. Let me tell you of present events.**Without words, the Asterite's double-helix shape started glowing. Every globe was pulsating with what little energy the Asterite had left. And after, every singer's head was flooded with images from the past. It showed Ecco's encounter with the prehistoric Asterite, and the epic battle that took place. About how one globe was stolen so Ecco could return and give the present Asterite his strength back. Then, after memories, it showed the entrance of the Vortex Queen in her larval stage entering this world. She was restricted by creatures she could never hope to rule, so instead she integrated with all life. And last, an image the singers never noticed before. The Vortex Queen grew up again with her powers, and made one last attempt at taking over. At this very moment, she was gathering forces and attacking the weakened Asterite of the past.This caused a great gasp from all singers. Ecco, however, wasn't surprised.And also, they saw the Glyphs the Atlanteans had placed, still intact.**As you all can see, the past is filled with paradox. None of this should have happened in the first place...and it is hurting the timelines. Add this to the fact that the Vortex were confronted with the Glyph Caller, and a lethal blast that tore time apart once and for all. Had it not been for me, nothing would have happened.**

**  
**Everyone let a slow sigh of astonishment. Ecco knew this...and had only helped it get worse.  
**And what's worst of all, Ecco, is that because of this calamity, the alternate dark Vortex future which you have closed has opened again.**


	11. 11

Chapter 11  
  
"What? No...NO!" cried Trellia in fear.

Ecco gasped and uttered, "How...impossible...no..."  
  
The entire pod was frozen in sheer terror. Kitnee couldn't stop staring ahead and fidgeting. Even Radero now had to pay attention, because of the shock that went through the singers' hearts. Tara now was absolutely scared, for her family and especially for Ecco...though she might never admit it.  
  
**I'm sorry my singers...and there's nothing I can do to stop this.  
**  
Everyone had the exact same thought: A dark history was repeating itself. Ecco was there for them before, twice. Now this was much more devastating...the entire balance of life was at stake now. They could remember when they were captured by the Vortex. Oh, the pain they suffered when they confronted them in the seas again.

Ecco couldn't bear to have his family torn from him...forever this time. What was worse, if he failed, he'd watch his entire family die, and he would be helpless but to stand by and watch and mourn; for he was immortal.  
  
The stars on his forehead took on an angry white glow, as did Trellia's star. Kitnee had a classic Sniper Singer look in his eye, as someone who looked at it would soon die. Tara refused to leave Ecco's side, and Lonus almost clung to his son and mate.  
  
Finally, Ecco spoke. "I hate to ask this, Asterite, but...is there a way to stop all this?"  
  
**First, Ecco, you must use the Atlantean time machine again. This song will take you to ancient Atlantis, back in its prime. That amulet you carry, the Elder's Stone, is one key. My future self tells me that the original Glyph Caller seeks his soul. Go back to Atlantis, and just when he is separated from his body, catch that spirit.  
****  
**"Is that all we must do?"  
  
**No. You, Tara, Kitnee, Trellia, and the young one all have a part. You will take Trellia with you to Atlantis. I will teach a song to Tara, Kitnee, and the young one to take them to the ancient past. You and your descendant will catch the Glyph Caller's persona. The rest of you will gather Glyphs from the past, for they are still working. When you bring them here, You will receive further instructions.  
**  
Ecco sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Asterite."  
  
**Trust in me, Ecco. All of you.  
**  
"One question," asked Trellia, "was our search in vain? Did we find the one with the power to wield the Caller's Song?"  
  
**Indeed. That one was under your fins the entire time.  
**  
"Who is it?" Tara asked with extreme impatience.  
  
**The young son of Lonus and Enuia. He has the power.  
  
**Slowly, the entire pod turned to young Radero. He was slightly nervous at all this. Enuia looked as if she was about to faint and Lonus was greatly concerned. "Mmmm....Me?" Radero quivered.  
  
**Teach him the Caller's Song. Your pod put faith in you when you were young...so show him the same.  
**  
"But, I don't know about saving the world!" Radero cried. Ecco smiled and swam over to the young one.  
  
"If you have the determination, the heart, and the willpower, and above all, hope, you have all you need."

"Just a moment!" Enuia exclaimed, "Ecco, are you saying you want to take MY child into the broken strands of time where he may be lost forever?!"  
  
"Be at peace, Enuia..." Lonus tried calming her.  
  
"I can't be at peace, your son isn't even grown and now he has to..."  
  
"Hush, Enuia!" That was the first time Ecco had to raise his voice to a pod member. The singer immediately fell silent. Throughout all this, Radero was nervous.  
  
**Ecco, I suggest you do not linger any more. Teach the song to the young one.  
**  
The dolphin nodded and prepared the song for Radero. Enuia looked as if to charge after him; all was quiet.  
  
"Listen closely, Radero," Ecco instructed. The young dolphin looked over to his mother and father, who both nodded solemly.  
  
"Yes, Ecco" he replied.  
  
And once again, the melodious strains of the Caller's Song was heard throughout the ocean. Lonus was excited at hearing his ancestor's lost song. The ones who hadn't heard it were mesmorized. Radero listened intently. The pod kept quiet in awe; Kitnee wanted to sing himself. Trellia could hear it even if she floated above the water. Enuia was just plain scared. Tara marveled but kept skeptical. And nearby, a few Small Singers stopped to hear. The Great Singers, whales, tried singing as well. Even a few Saltless Singers, freshwater dolphins, could barely hear from their rivers. Once again the entire sea was alive and carefree.  
  
Then the singing stopped. It was done, the mission partially complete.  
  
"Do you have the song in your mind, young one?" Ecco asked.  
  
Radero's small eyes were wide open in thought. "Y-yes...I know it! Strange, I feel as if I had known it before."  
  
At that moment, the Elder's Stone that seemed plain only a few minutes before now glowed again. The entire sea around them seemed to channel its energy.  
  
**The Glyphs call for help again,** the Asterite warned,** I can provide a passage back to Atlantis, but because of my weakened state it will take another day.  
  
**"But that only leaves us one more day until the harvest moon! We'll never make it!" Tara exclaimed.  
  
"We have no choice," Ecco answered, "Asterite, open that portal. Mother, keep the pod here. Enuia and Lonus, you stay as well. Kitnee, Trellia, Tara, Radero, come with me."  
  
**Here is the song that will get you to all your destinations. Good luck, singers.**  
  
The rest of the pod backed up as the Asterite slowly opened the portal. With Kitnee in front, they quickly entered and disappeared. Ecco stayed behind to make sure everyone had left. With a last Delphine hug from his mother and father, young Radero turned and followed the others. Before going himself, Ecco reasurred his pod.  
  
"Do not worry, I promise to take care of Radero, and be back in time."  
  
"Be careful," his mother cautioned, "I love you, my son."  
  
Ecco smiled and turned. "Asterite, try to guard my family with all your power."  
  
**I shall try. Go, Ecco.  
**  
In the next instant, Ecco swam through and disappeared. The portal closed behind the brave singers.  
  
"Can your son really accomplish this?" Enuia asked nervously of Ecco's mother.  
  
She smiled with pride. "If he can cross shark-infested waters, endure the cold north where air is blocked, cross millions of years of time, go through two alternate futures, defeat the Vortex twice, and return from beyond the sky with every pod member alive, he can take care of a calf and do the same thing."  
  
Once again, the singers under Ecco's command were traveling back to Atlantis via portal. Kitnee and Tara weren't too used to travelling that way, so they lagged behind to watch Radero. Ecco and Trellia hugged the front. The Asterite's way had them going quite fast. In reality though, it would take another day to reach their destination. Which Ecco feared wouldn't be time enough. Though they didn't know much about this (save for Trellia), they'd certainly try to halt it.  
  
Finally the portal opened and disgorged the five singers in the ruined, labyrinthine City of Forever. When they arrived, they noticed the sun rising again.  
  
Radero whistled quietly. "I didn't know saving the earth gets you so dizzy." He swam up for air.  
  
"You get used to it, I think" Tara pointed out. She was somewhat dizzy herself and also swam up. Only Ecco, Trellia, and Kitnee stayed down.  
  
"Ecco, you know this city; do you know where the machine is?" asked the young orca.  
  
"Yes, Kitnee. Let's just hope it's there."  
  
Radero and Tara returned. Although the young calf was stuck on the mission, he could not help but notice the beauty of the forgotten city. "What now?" he asked.

Ecco turned to his friends. "First of all, give me that amulet back please, young one. Second, all of you take a deep breath. This journey will take more than fifteen minutes, so if you need air there are pockets below. Use your sonar maps if necessary. And if you have to swim from the group, let us know and we'll keep track. Otherwise stay with us. Got it?"  
  
The others nodded and did as told. Once the amulet was back on Ecco's neck and everyone's breath was taken, the singers started down the long tunnels below them.  
  
For the first few turns, the dolphins swiftly followed through. Only once or twice did they stop for air, and Kitnee needed help with tight spots.  
  
On and on they powered. Through aggressive Hungry Ones with a lost power of duplication and traps of falling and rising stones they passed. And the closer they got to the machine, the more worry was present.  
  
Ecco was worried about Radero. _Will I be able to protect him?_ He thought. Trellia still had doubt in her heart that Tiderider or her world would be alive. Kitnee and Tara both had the greatest devotion for their friends and for the misson. They possessed plenty of courage.  
Above all, Radero was worried most. _Will I be okay? Will I ever see my mother and father again? I hope I don't fail..._all this ran through his mind swifter than a thresher shark. He was however thrilled to be adventuring with Ecco. _I knew I wasn't too young,_ the calf thought.  
The sea grew darker as the passageways turned towards the hidden time machine. Tara of course was getting impatient. Ecco and Kitnee were indifferent, but Trellia and Radero grew scared.  
  
"It gets darker through here, so keep close and use your sonar," Ecco instructed. At once you could hear clicking and Delphine squeaks echoing throughout the darkening tunnels.  
  
Finally, the tunnel got brighter. The Singers gave a sigh of relief as they saw an unbroken Glyph in the chamber. Above it lay the long-forgotten time machine, which only responded as the Glyph crystals; by dolphin songs.  
  
"Oh bless Delphineus, we have finally arrived!" Tara declared. The others sang in victory, while Ecco contemplated activating the Glyph.  
  
"Everyone, I need your songs to do this!" On command, all the dolphins used their sonar and pinged the Glyph. Inside it read, _Time travel sequence initiated. Travelers: Ecco, Tara, Trellia, Kitnee, Radero.  
_  
"Hey, that's me!" Radero exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Tara laughed. "Don't lose your breath, calf."  
  
"Okay...hey, don't call me calf!" he replied.  
  
"Calf, calf, calf..."  
  
"Stooopp!"  
  
"Okay, Tara, stop" Ecco snickered. They swam up into the chamber one by one, Ecco first, Trellia second, Tara third, Radero fourth, and Kitnee last. He had to struggle before fitting through.  
  
"A little crowded, I think" Tara pointed out and glanced at Kitnee. He growled slightly, which surprised Trellia. Radero giggled at this.  
  
Ecco swam in between the time machine. "Now, if I remember, the Asterite gave us two different songs; one for the distant past and one for ancient Atlantis."  
  
"I remember," Kitnee said, "Tara and I take Radero to the past to gather Glyphs."  
  
"Ecco and I go to ancient Atlantis and save the soul of the Glyph Caller," finished Trellia.  
  
"Right," Ecco answered, "You two, watch over Radero and beware of the ancient sharks and the Vortex drones."  
  
"But Ecco!" Radero interrupted, "why can't I go with you and Trellia?"  
  
"Because you are much safer with an orca and Tara than with me for the time being. Now don't question me."  
  
"Yes, Ecco."  
  
"Good. You remember your songs?" The singers all nodded. "Then Trellia and I shall proceed first. After that, you three will use your song and travel to the prehistoric past. If you need help, contact the Land Singers."  
  
" 'Land Singers'?" asked Tara.  
  
"You will know them when you see them. Are you ready?"  
  
"Yeah," Tara answered, "and Ecco?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Tara blushed. "Just be careful, okay?"  
  
Ecco smiled. "You too, Tara."  
  
"Yeuch" Radero whispered. The others laughed slightly.Kitnee and Tara backed up with Radero as Ecco and Trellia positioned themselves between the machine drums. Together they activated the sound waves, rotated, and vanished in a flash of light.  
  
Cautiously, the other dolphins did the same. In the same minute, three Bottlenose Singers, a Sniper Singer, and a half-Lunar Cast Singer all vanished, and the room was left empty and deathly quiet again.


	12. 12

Chapter 12

For the fourth time in his life, Ecco had combined his own powers of song with the machinery of a sunken land to travel to the past. This time, though, he had others with him. No creature as far as he knew could travel with more than one at a time through the tri-dimensions, yet five just did. For a brief moment he and Trellia crossed paths with Kitnee, Tara, and Radero. An exchanged glance of eyes and no more was done—for both groups were headed towards other destinations.

The prehistoric waters of Origin Beach were cluttered with life, and torrentous as that life constantly fought and evolved with ferocity. It was here sharks dominated. It was here that the great Basilosaurus claimed the sea as the first whale. It was here that Mesyonichids were learning to sing and swim.

And now, a rip opened in the middle of the bay and three new creatures appeared as if by magic, which scared a few of the giant beaked fish swimming in the perimeter.

After the singers recovered, Tara opened her eyes and stared, bewildered. Kitnee decided to spyhop, shoving his sleek black head above the waves. Radero was almost scared stiff; what could be lurking in these waters, so dark and cold?

And it was cold, the sun was just thinking of rising in the east. The three dolphins had reached the pre-dawn of a day recently inherited by mammals.

"Well, I'd say this place will be less than comfortable," Tara observed. Radero nodded.

Kitnee, the orca, slipped back into the sea. "I see mountains and beaches, and many strange creatures there as well."

"Here too, don't forget here," Radero pointed out as he observed a trilobite crawling on the sandy bed below.

He rejoined Tara, and they both decided to spyhop as well. The ocean surface was gray, as the sand and coral beneath. Among the singers were small islands where plants grew.

"Does anyone remember why we did this again?" Tara asked rhetorically.

Kitnee decided to answer her anyway. "We came to gather the Glyph crystals to take them back to our time. Radero, do you remember your song?"

He stared. Radero was somewhat frightened of the orca above him, mainly because of size. But he knew respect very well, and never showed it. "Um...yeah, I do."

"Good, we will need that," Tara replied.

"We shouldn't linger, or we may not know what will come after us. I heard tales of giant sharks and ancient songless whales, twice as ferocious as my kind," Kitnee warned.

Tara turned to him. "You are an orca, the famed Sniper Singer—what could defeat you?"

Kitnee laughed nervously. "You'd be surprised. Let's find those Glyphs."

"Right."

Radero whispered quickly to Tara. "Are you sure we're safe with him?"

Tara reassured the calf. "Believe me, child, if you could have seen what I'd seen a Sniper Singer do, you'd have never asked that question."

"What did it do?"

Tara smiled. "If I remember correctly, I and Ecco once saw a whole pack take on a Great Blue Singer. And one even managed to flip a Great White into the air."

Radero gasped. "You mean a demon dolphin conquered the White Death?"

Tara quickly hushed him. "Only porpoises call them demon dolphins. We call them Sniper Singers, or orcas. Show respect, will you?"

Radero nodded quickly and glanced at Kitnee.

So, the three singers swam swiftly through the brightening currents. Along the way, many amazing creatures could be seen and found with sonar in the sand, swimming among the plants, and hiding in the rocks. Kitnee managed to scare off some of the smaller Hungry Ones, and even a strange one with an undercurved lip full of teeth. Just as surprising as the present seas where these that once existed. They didn't, however, dare turn up in the open oceans, for fear of an encounter with the giant Megalodon, or the Basilosaurus.

They didn't find Glyphs there, anyway. Whilst the three traveled they found and collected as many as they could with the Caller's Song. And even if sung by a young calf like Radero, it proved to be just as bewildering. The sharks stopped feeding and the cone shellfish seemed to dance about with the ammonites as they swam. The crystals they opened and collected fused together into one, which followed the young Glyph Caller itself as if alive.

For hours they swam and collected, refusing to take a break except for air and food. They guarded the fused Glyph with all their determination until nearly dusk.

After they swam through five banks, the singers were pretty sure they had found all of the Glyphs they could. They knew because whenever they were near one the collection glowed brilliantly. They sang to the Glyph, and it told the number left they had to collect.

The group rested in the zone known as Dark Waters. Radero watched the Glyph, while the other two watched him.

As soon as they started again, though, they Glyph glowed slightly. It stated there was only one to find—out in darker, deeper waters where Megalodon was said to prowl, along with the Songless One.

"Oh no..." Kitnee muttered.

Meanwhile, Ecco and his descendant, Trellia, appeared with a flash in the epicenter of the ancient seas. No different from the present were these seas; the only difference was a greater sense of mystery and lore. Ecco wasn't surprised; but Trellia quickly leaped from the ocean surface to survey. The lands were unchanged, save for a metallic, towering structure on the north horizon—shining gold in the sun. Trellia quickly floated back down.

After Ecco made sure he still had the Elder's Stone with him, he decided to spyhop. He slipped his sleek, starred brow above the surface and saw the Flying Singer above.

"This place is quite interesting, Ecco. It's no different from your time...yet I believe I see an intact Atlantis to the north."

Ecco laughed and tail-walked just to show off. "You haven't seen anything yet, Trellia. You thought Atlantis was beautiful back home, it's rapturous when intact."

Ecco's dolphin mood refused to leave him, but Trellia remained serious. "Ecco, remember...we are about in the same time when the Vortex attacked. We must catch the Glyph Caller's soul, and no more."

The smile in Ecco's ebony eyes evaporated along with the glow on his stars. "Yes, I suppose we should continue the mission. It is tempting to play while we are here, though. We are in the dolphin's paradise."

"Paradise or not, we won't save our Earth by playing. We should go, Ecco."

"Admit it, though, you want to play."

Trellia grimaced. "No, I don't. Now let's go!"

Ecco nodded and led the way north. Trellia remained airborne to watch the city grow as they moved closer. On the way, Ecco couldn't help but wonder how the others were doing.

After a few minutes they had reached the bay of the Atlantean City. Trellia could see the golden-silver buildings for miles from the air; and it was breathtaking.

The dolphins then stopped at the front entrance, a gate that rose from the coral underwater to about ten feet above-water. Trellia sped back under the surface and joined her ancestor.

"What did you see up there?"

She was mostly speechless, voice wavering as she tried to describe it. "I saw large structures, buildings. Far as I can see it stretched, and there was a towering spire in the center. I even thought I saw humans!"

Ecco nodded. "They and the dolphins built this city upon the coral. Its power is not greatly knowledgeable, but mostly hypothesized. Even great energy surrounds the gate of Atlantis, a power hidden so no other could penetrate. But now the power seems to be turning downward. Due mostly, I guess, to the Vortex attacks."

Trellia looked thoughtful. "Is there a way in?"

"I guess..." Ecco was interrupted. He glanced around where they were.

"What's wrong?" Trellia inquired.

"I thought I heard...Trellia, move!"

Without hesitation she darted downward. Charging like a bullet just above her was a Hungry One with unusual leopard-like markings.

"A shark?" she asked.

"I should have warned you about those. They guard the gates here. If you try charging them they duplicate. Follow me."

Ecco quickly led Trellia around to a hole by the gate. They slipped inside the city.

Trellia admired her surroundings as they swam along the buildings. They swam past small golden fish, including angelfish with small yellow heads. Schools of these roamed every crevice and crack in the structures.

"We should be nearing the area where dolphins live. Expect to see a few humans, too." Ecco informed. Trellia nodded in agreement.

When they arrived, there was a murmured excitement in the center waters near the tower. A few dolphins, many of them lacking any markings whatsoever like the rest, swam about listening to each other in an attempt of comfort. Trellia, too, was quite nervous.

Above the dolphins, some huddled on the balconies and windows, were many humans, males and females and a few children. They had lived with the dolphins here and therefore understood them, so they paid attention to the commotion. Soon there was a hushed silence.

The largest, a dolphin with three stars on his head and a stripe going from his eyes to his fins, started his announcements.

"My fellow singers, I have returned from the Elder's quarters with devastating news. He have struck ill some time ago as you know, and has now died."

Many of the humans above gasped in surprise, and held their children tightly. This was the same Elder, of the humans, who was to protect them and the city's power.

The large dolphin continued. "As you all know, the virus unleashed upon us by the Vortex has robbed our kind of their divine powers of song and lasting immortality. Some of you, those marked without markings, are the ones who were affected. Your children will be born never knowing the peace we had with what we used."

Ecco and Trellia listened intently as they sneaked in to hear this. They could hear some dolphins cry, and also one for protection of her unborn calf.

The leader proceeded. "I and my children are the only ones left unaffected. Because of this, we all are now left defenseless against the Vortex armada."

A murmured agreement in the crowds, then: "I have one other update now. A message of hope, for the Glyph Caller is back with us."

Back in the prehistoric era, Kitnee observed where their fused Glyph said the last one was: in the open seas.

"Something wrong, Kit?" Tara inquired.

"I thought I heard him say, 'oh no'" Radero observed.

Kitnee stared ahead as he answered. "The last Glyph is located in the deeper side."

"So? Sounds like an adventure," Radero stated, trying to imitate Ecco.

The orca stared at the young naïve dolphin. "So, that's the domain of the Songless One! I heard the stories...you think my kind is the most ferocious, try facing that creature. He will tear us!"

"Kitnee, calm down," Tara tried comforting, "I think we can get past him."

"If we do, what about the ancestor of the White Death, Megalodon?" he replied.

Tara had nothing to say to that, but Radero did. "Wasn't that just a story?"

Kitnee sighed. "Perhaps it is. But an arrogant attitude like that will get you killed."

Radero whimpered a little, and Tara shot him a poisonous look.

"Alright, we will proceed, but we must be cautious," he stated.

The Singers nervously agreed. With Kitnee in front and Radero next to him, guided by the Glyph, and Tara behind they made their way from the bay to the deeper waters, staying near the surface.

Soon, the bay was far behind them. No longer could they see coral, but black ascending from underneath. The three singers couldn't stop thinking that something could ambush them from below. They kept quiet so they could hear everything.

Suddenly, two events broke the silence: A low-pitched deep rumble, and the Glyph reacting to the last one, just nearby. The dolphins abruptly stopped.

"The last crystal lies below us..." Kitnee whispered.

"I was wondering, do we really need every Glyph?" Tara asked nervously.

"I'm scared," Radero said with a nervous squeak.

"That makes three of us," Kitnee confirmed, "and yes, we need every Glyph."

Another rumble shook the waters around them. Kitnee sighed in unison with Tara. "Take a deep breath, and stay close to me."

The singers approached the surface and each refilled their breath. Then downward they faced, slowly approaching the last Glyph. The fused one behind them blinked faster and faster as they got closer and the water turned darker. It was reminiscent of traveling through the dark passageways of the City of Forever.

The closer they came to their Glyph, the more worried they felt. The low rumbling sounds echoed below them on the sand bed, and it was much louder now.

Finally, the dolphins saw a faint glow in-between some boulders on the bottom.

"That must be it!" Tara whispered, "Let's get it out of here."

But before Radero could get it, the singers heard the origin of the low-frequency rumble right next to them: Swimming slowly along not thirty feet away was a Songless One; a sixty-foot long Basilosaurus. It looked enough like any singer except for two small fins near the tail, the nostril in-between its nose, a snout longer and wider than a dolphin's, and teeth that would scare an orca.

"Mm...maybe it doesn't see us?" Radero whimpered.

"Shh!" he scolded. They watched as the massive whale-like animal powered slowly next to them.

Then, the great whale stopped. It turned its head in different general directions, then aimed its eyes directly at the singers. They froze.

But they had forgotten about the Glyph, and its reaction to the one still on the seabed. It flashed rapidly, lighting up the singers in their area.

The beast's growl murmured through the water, its eyes a dark yellow. When it caught sight of Kitnee, Tara, and Radero, it opened its mouth wide and charged.

"EVERYONE MOVE!" Kitnee roared. The singers abandoned the Glyph and swam back towards the surface as fast as they could.

But it wasn't enough. The Songless One was right behind them, an impenetrable wall of muscle and teeth. The beast snapped at their flukes.

Then, Tara had an idea. "Don't swim straight, zigzag! Side to side, NOW!" she shouted. She and Radero split off from Kitnee in different directions.

The beast wavered for only a moment before charging on; in the very direction where Kitnee swam!

"We can't leave him back there!" Radero shouted.

"I know, but our priority now is to protect you, now keep swimming!" Tara felt awful about her friend, but she knew this was best. _Oh, Ecco's going to kill me_, she thought.

Once the two Bottlenose Singers were safe in the Bay of Isles, they listened for any sign of Kitnee. They heard nothing.

Tara lowered her head and whispered in mourning. Radero did as well.

"We need a way to that Glyph," Tara said after a moment.

"Yeah, but how?"

"I know how," a voice above them said.


	13. 13

Chapter 13

Ecco and Trellia couldn't believe what they had heard. There was a gasp from the crowd of dolphins, and a few scorns from the humans above. Ecco remembered the story of how the Glyph Caller was banished when he used the Glyphs against the Vortex without command nor consent.

Now, he was back, and the dolphins of Atlantis had mixed feelings. Was he here to help the ancient city, or destroy it?

The leader of the dolphins hushed the group. "We have nothing to fear now. All of us can remember his brave act, when he cast himself with the Glyphs and nearly destroyed our enemy."

"And us!" a few singers argued. There was a fury of argument among the group.

"Just hush a moment, and I shall tell of the plan we were given before the Elder's death. The time machine located deep within the City of Forever has been reactivated. Tonight, the Vortex armada is due to descend back upon us. The virus contracted among us cannot be cured. On their word, the dolphins residing here will leave Atlantis for the open seas and live there for eternity."

"But what about the humans? Where will they go?" one singer asked. Ecco and his descendant were staring ahead in thought as they heard the answer.

"They are to use the time machine and travel throughout time and scatter the Glyphs inside the dimensions, so our legacy will never be forgotten, at least by dolphins."

A slight gasp. "But that's deceitful! We can't leave, not now!"

"They can't leave us!"

"We aren't giving up, not now!"

"Silence, it's useless!"

The argument went on like this for some time. Many of the Delphine residents thought they were abandoning their city, their lives, their future. Many others wanted to stay with the humans, their only friends outside the sea. Very few wanted to actually leave utter destruction behind.

The leader spoke above the crowd. "I'm sorry, my friends, but it's the only way. The Elder spoke to me, and he has said this: 'The dolphins will live not in this ruined city. They are the last of the ocean's protectors and sentience. They will live to sing, and their children will be born to sing. It is the Atlanteans who will travel. The Atlanteans who will be sure to claim themselves martyrs for their causes. We cannot go into the world with you, or we will all perish, so says the legend. The only job of the dolphins will be to remember.' And with that, he fell silent."

The singers were appalled by this. The humans seemed to treat them like animals. But a few argued that what the Elder said was true...the dolphins were the last in the seas to carry the Atlantean legacy with them. No matter what, they shall always carry it.

"What shall we do now, Ecco?" Trellia whispered.

"I know not. All we can do now is wait for the Vortex to strike."

"But, we have enough power to protect the city, don't we? Atlantis does not have to fall!"

"We can't change the course of history, Trellia, or we will have dire results. Just wait."

Ecco had mixed feelings. He felt tempted to save the dolphin's legacy of peace with these amphibious humans. But in his heart he argued that they must perish.

_They must perish, they must_. He sighed.

"Singers," the leader started again, though more somber, "The sun is to set in one hour. We must be mobilized by then. We have no choice."

And with those last words, the dolphin leader turned his back, and swam off from the center spire. The dolphins were left silent, as the seas around them glared with the sunlight. The glare seemed like a glare from fate...the dolphins' fault was their decision.

And they will remember this for eons to come. The humans, still looking from their windows high above the surface, all closed their eyes. The children cried, the mothers not knowing how to comfort them. The males looked on, especially the warriors guarding them from the edges. They couldn't do anything to help, for the city's fate was sealed.

The Vortex were descending to Earth at this very second, slowly, menacingly. Through them, will come the demise of many a dolphin and human. Of course, the time travel plan will save as many as it could.

The rest would fall with the golden walls.

Trellia and Ecco swam around the city. They weren't noticed as the humans and dolphins were rushing away. Trellia was sobbing slightly, and Ecco swam on and never looked back. 

"I never knew what you had to go through before," Trellia finally said, "I can't imagine sacrificing a whole people, for the sake of history."

Ecco turned to her. "When I used the time machine to come here instead of destroying it, I wanted to stay. But I couldn't change fate. I also couldn't change the fact that the Big Blue had died, right when I was there in front of him. I couldn't change it when I had to fight the Asterite in order to get his power back. I don't like to hurt my friends. But there's no choice in such."

Suddenly, he smiled. "But one thing I won't let go by the wayside is your problem. I haven't forgotten about Tiderider, nor your time, nor even the Sky Killers and Teo. We will solve this, or I can't keep my stars."

Trellia smiled back. "Thank you, Ecco."

"No problem." He winked, then they kept swimming near the outskirts of the city.

A few lonely yet dangerous hours passed. Ecco and Trellia just stood by as they watched the Atlantean humans prepare for their time trip. They watched as the dolphins, the ones who still had their powers and the ones whose immortality they lost due to the virus, accompanied them. The clouds were turning bright red and orange as the sun disappeared. Hovering dangerously above them were the Vortex, and their ships. They had begun to drain different parts of the earth's seas. Now, their envious eyes fell upon the future Cape of Archeo. The ship's shadows could be seen from the top of the spire, and within minutes the alarm sounded. 

"Everyone, take the submarines to the City of Forever! To our dolphin allies...good luck to you and your descendants!" the human leader called out. The dolphins streamed past Ecco, while Trellia saw all the action from above him.

When the singers all left the city, a few stayed behind a few miles from the walls to watch the city fall. Ecco and Trellia stayed behind inside the walls, as close as they can to the center. They knew they were putting themselves in great danger, being this close. However, they had to complete their mission. 

Then, out of the corner of their eyes, they saw the Glyph Caller himself rise towards the sky, using the power of the Glyphs in which he called upon. Ecco glanced upwards to his path. As soon as he did, the stars on his melon shown white, and his eyes filled with memories of past battles, and he had the urge to charge the sky.

The Vortex armada had arrived.

The three singers yelped in surprise at the voice. It sounded like it was singing in their language, yet somewhat different. Like it was just learning.  
  
"What was that?" Radero inquired.  
  
Tara peeked her head up at the small island above them. "Radero, you're not going to believe this. Look up."  
  
He slowly did. In front of their eyes, standing right on the small island, was a four-legged creature, somewhat like a dog. It was brownish-colored, furred, and paws with small claws almost like hooves. And to the dolphins' great surprise, the creature could sing much like them.  
  
"Well, now...you be like the creature that talked to us before, only no stars. Nope, no stars. I saw a large, black and white one, too. That be your friend?"  
  
Tara and Radero nodded.  
  
"Thought so, thought so. Was bein' chased by the Great Carnashol, he was. Them animals is big trouble."  
  
"Excuse me," Tara interrupted, "but who are you?"  
  
The animal seemed surprised. "Oh, pardon my manners, the name's Kii. I'm a Mesyonichid, but that's a mess-to-say." He laughed at his own joke, then said, "Your friend with the stars call us the 'Land Singers'. I guess that's true, my kind loves to sing, yes yes."  
  
"Chatty, isn't he?" Radero giggled.  
  
"Shh," Tara answered.  
  
"So anyways, you want to find that crystal being guarded by the great Carnashol?"  
  
" 'Carnashol'?" Tara inquired.  
  
"That's our word for the Basilosaurus. What do you call him?"  
  
"The Songless One."  
  
"Ah, yes. He doesn't speak our language, nope. So we say he expresses anger by eating everything."  
  
Tara and Radero smiled. This creature seemed less carefree than any dolphin, yet he could still laugh like one. Radero laughed too, but Tara's smile faded. "Enough, do you know how we can get that Glyph?"  
  
Now Kii's smile evaporated as well. "Yes, but it's very dangerous. You will have to coax the big shark, Megalodon, into a fight with him. He's the only one in the sea able to stand up to the Basilosaurus."  
  
_Oh no, first the Songless One and now this?_ Trellia thought. "Tell us, where do we find the Megalodon?"  
  
Kii sighed. "You really want to know? I'd rather have you here to talk to."  
  
"Yes, tell us!"  
  
"The big shark lives in deeper water, way past here. You'll have to watch carefully, he's a master stalker. Been ruling these seas before Basilosaurus, yep, call him the whale-eater we do."  
  
Tara gulped. "In which direction is he?" Kii raised a paw and pointed straight east. Tara nodded and started to swim off. Radero started to swim after her, but she turned back.  
  
"You stay here, calf. It's too dangerous."  
  
"I've heard that one too many times now. Pleeease, let me come with you!"  
  
"No! We still need you. Stay here with Kii."  
  
Radero wanted to argue, but a knowing look from both Tara and Kii kept him where he was. "But, what if you don't come back?"  
  
Tara smiled. "If I don't, then Kitnee will." And with that, she sped off.  
  
"So you're a young one, eh? Why'd you come here?" Kii asked of Radero. He was trying to ease the tension.  
  
"I came with Ecco and his friends. Supposedly I'm the 'Glyph Caller' they speak of, and they want me to go with them. I don't understand much of this, though. And I miss my parents."  
  
Kii smiled. "I see, I see. Must be nice to be born in the water, yes."  
  
Radero just giggled slightly. But he couldn't stop thinking of Tara and Kitnee, trapped below in the jaws of the Songless One and the giant Hungry One.  
  
After a moment, the young singer grew restless. So far he's heard nothing back from the friends he came with. His eyes burned with a ferocious determination. "Kii?"  
  
The Land Singer was fishing. He'd just caught an unwary fish in his jaws when Radero called him. "I want to find Tara and Kitnee. Point me to where they are!"  
  
"Mm?" Kii spit out the fish he started eating. "It's too dangerous! You'd be crazy to face the whale killer and Carnashol!"  
  
"I don't care. I want to help them. I'm of no use to them here!"  
  
"You'll be of no use to them dead!" the Land Singer argued.  
  
Radero decided he couldn't do anything to stop him, and he sped off to where Tara went. Kii jumped in the water and tried to swim after the young one, but to no avail. Radero was far ahead of him.  
  
"Dear oh dear, I'm going to need help, yes." Kii swam back to land and started looking for whoever could help.

Radero was somewhat scared being alone in such foreign and strange seas, but he kept going. He knew he was needed for something. _Ecco, my dad, my mom, they'll all be proud of me_, he kept thinking.  
  
Soon, he was far into the darker waters again. He started calling for Tara and Kitnee. But no response came back to him save for a few distant howls and various ocean noises. But he was determined as Ecco to find his guardians, whatever the cost.  
  
And besides, he remembered the story of when Ecco was his age, he, Tara, and Kitnee searched the seas for the great and wise Big Blue, rest he in peace.  
  
Finally, he heard a ferocious but faint brawl just below him in the darker waters. Deciding that was Tara or Kitnee, he sped downwards, hoping in all his luck that he was right.


	14. 14

Chapter 14

The skies over Atlantis were no longer quiet and peaceful. Ecco gave a slight whistle of anger and tried to stifle a Charge Song. Trellia matched his look, for she knew what would've become of the earth if the Vortex claimed victory. All they both could do was watch as the armada of dark ships descended, slowly tasting destruction. Facing them, using his power to rise into the sky along with the Glyphs, was the Glyph Caller himself. The great dolphin's eyes shone with greater intensity than the crystals surrounding his body as he faced the Vortex.  
  
Suddenly, all of Atlantis fell empty save for the Glyph Caller, the Vortex, and Ecco and Trellia. "Get ready," she warned Ecco, "We cannot fail now."  
  
Ecco prepared himself. As soon as the Glyph Caller's blast met the Vortex's beam of destruction, Ecco would launch himself at the epicenter of the blasts and quickly use his song to catch the Caller's soul. After that, he'll travel to the prehistoric era to find Tara, Kitnee, and Radero along with the Glyphs they collected. He and Trellia would use their power to travel back to her time and free the Glyph Caller from his crystalline prison. He will aid them in releasing Tiderider from his own prison.  
  
That is, if Ecco's luck was with him on this. One slip, and he could be destroyed himself. Because of his immortality, he'll lose his spirit but bear his wounds on his body forever. The savior of the seas will wander forever as nothing.  
  
_When this is all over, I must ask the Asterite to remove my immortality. I can't live like this,_ Ecco decided.  
  
Both sides stopped in their tracks. A few smaller ships started to blast the buildings apart, and the lead ship was face to face with the Caller.  
  
Ecco faced his descendant. "Trellia...if I don't make it out of this, please, promise me you will find a way to stop this on your own."  
  
Trellia's eyes filled with tears as her heart filled with fear. "Ecco, no...I need you."  
  
Ecco smiled. "You are of my blood, Trellia. You need nobody. I learned from Atlantis long ago that dolphins with our stars stood for courage in the city. They were warriors, and they used their powers of song to protect it. That's what I am doing now, only now I'm protecting the future. If you find your courage, you will find our legacy. Now, promise me, child."  
  
Trellia stood silent. Behind Ecco, she could see the Vortex's beams destroying more buildings. She knew now what she had to do. It was up to her to save the earth if her ancestor was destroyed.  
  
Trellia then realized. "Ecco, if you don't make it, I won't even exist."  
  
"Trellia, I'm immortal. My spirit will ensure your existence if my body won't. Now, say you will go."  
  
She took a deep breath. "I promise."  
  
Ecco nodded and turned back to the battle. "Trellia, lift me, please." She did. Ecco rose quickly as the beams of power were just about to fire. Trellia stayed behind as she saw her ancestor ascend to the battle-torn sky.  
  
Suddenly, the Glyphs flashed, and the Caller released the blast onto the Vortex. Just the same, the opposition fired upon the upcoming power, but to no avail. Ecco pumped his fluke, and was caught in the middle.  
  
Then, a great explosion ripped all the ships apart like a Hungry One rips a fish. The amulet adorning Ecco's neck glowed along with the Glyphs adorning the Caller. Soon, the great dolphin fell backwards in recoil from the explosion. Through the light, Ecco could see his spirit falling from his body. He rushed forward to catch it. But just when the amulet's power caught the dolphin's persona and trapped it, the small crystal ripped from the neck ring and fell to the earth.  
  
Ecco charged down after it. However, the blast opened several dimensional holes in the sky. In just one split second, Ecco was sucked upwards, as the amulet was falling back to the seas.  
Trellia saw the falling crystal and rushed to catch it. As she did, she saw a small form of Ecco twirling ever higher. She hoped he'd fall too, but he was actually ascending...straight to a dimensional hole! She was powerless to do anything.  
  
Later, as the blast faded and the smoke cleared, night was giving way to day. Trellia saw the sun rise for the first time on a ruined Atlantis. But as far as she could search she saw no Ecco, no remnants of the Vortex. She could see the Glyph Caller's body floating on the surface just a few feet away.  
  
"Oh no," she whispered to herself, "Ecco has disappeared, I am now left with the Caller's spirit, and the responsibility of the world...how am I ever going to stand up just as my ancestor once did?"  
  
Then she remembered what he said to her about courage. The lone star on her head flashed with the mention of the virtue, and she felt her sense of loneliness vanish. _Ecco...what am I going to tell the others?  
_  
Trellia searched under Atlantis for one more Glyph, and she used the last of its power to call down the Song of Transport. She headed straight for the prehistoric past, where she was now sure to meet up with Radero, Kitnee, and Tara.

* * *

"Unh...where am I?" Ecco asked himself as soon as he awoke. He remembered what had happened earlier. He was with Trellia...in ancient Atlantis...with the Glyph Caller...  
  
Ecco sprung back to life. Where was Trellia? Where did the amulet drop? Were the Vortex destroyed? Questions were racing through his mind.  
  
Ecco calmed himself and surveyed his surroundings. He was in a tank of some kind, in very messy water; water which was very viscous and familiar somehow.  
  
The dolphin searched everywhere for a way out, but it ended in vain. He was trapped, with only a small amount of air towards the top.  
  
"Ah, you are awake now, visitor..." a strange voice called. Ecco turned in surprise to find a very strange-looking singer. It didn't seem like the dolphins he knew; it looked weaker and prone to exhaustion and injury. There was a deep scar in the melon stretching over both of his eyes. The pectoral fins looked a bit more like long vines of flesh, dragging down about three feet. The tail fin looked more like regular dolphins, but Ecco could sense half was torn off. The tail was small anyway, making for an erratic swimming gait. Among the other features were gill openings under the pectoral fins, proof these dolphins didn't need the air above them. The dolphin's color was a bright yellow, and his eyes looked as if they had lost all hope. Ecco was surprised at this.  
  
"You seem like one of us, yet you are different," the singer observed, "What is your designation?"  
  
"Uhm...Ecco. Where am I?"  
  
The other dolphin looked somber, yet curious. "You are in the lowest part of the Vortex master city, the feeding area. We dolphins live here and are raised as food for these creatures."  
  
Ecco gasped. He was in the Vortex future!

* * *

Kii ran all along the beach, searching for his family. _Certainly a whole pack of us can help, hopefully. I know, we shall sing to Quisheri, the god of whirlwinds, he shall save them, yes!_ The Land Singer raced as fast as he could, calling out.  
  
Meanwhile, Radero's fears were growing with the darkness. Twice he thought he heard the haunting cry of the Basilosaurus, or the furious growl of Megalodon. He may have even heard Tara and Kitnee struggling with their lives in the crushing pressure. If they didn't survive, their fate was a live burial amidst darkness. Where none could hear you.  
  
He stopped. Shuddering, he thought he again recognized the cries of the Singers he came with. For the first time in his life, Radero actually took his position seriously. He'd never felt serious care for anyone other than his parents. The arrogant young one was actually learning, as he should, from life. He wondered whether he'd live long enough to learn more, though. As long as the Glyph collection trailing behind him stayed silent...  
  
Again, the haunting deep-water sounds resounded, climbing up the walls and bottom, sneaking up on anything like a shadow to whosoever hears it. Radero was tempted to sing back, but only under the risk of catching the attention of the Songless One, and the great king of the Hungry Ones.  
  
_I can't give up just because of some noises. Ecco wouldn't,_ the young Singer concluded. He found an underwater cave where he refilled his lungs with blessed air, then he descended deeper, gently pinging the walls, sonar his eye in the dismal gloom before him. 

_If I cannot find him, nobody can. I am the master...oh, what's the use,_ Tara kept thinking. As she swam off, she couldn't empty her mind of worry. Of Kitnee, of Radero, of Trellia, and, she especially couldn't stop thinking of Ecco. Ever since she and him were calves, they adventured together. They made friends with young Kitnee, the orca, when his family was small. She could never admit it through her brutish heart, but she cared for all in her pod, especially Ecco. She smiled as she thought of him again, which eased her tension somewhat. But the environment and sounds quickly dispersed her thoughts of peace.  
  
Suddenly, a piercing cry tore through her silent slipstream. It lingered, then stopped, then rang louder. That noise could only be one thing: Kitnee was in serious danger, perhaps pain. Tara pinpointed the sound, but she didn't even need to move. The black and white, purity within darkness pattern of her demon dolphin friend could be seen. He was swimming slowly upwards, and as soon as he saw Tara he barreled through the water.  
  
Tara was overjoyed. "Kitnee! You're alive!"  
  
Kitnee breached with the usual Delphine dance of glee. But no sooner had he hit the water again did he wince slightly with pain. Tara found the reason; a great wound along his right side, spilling a small amount of blood into the water.  
  
"What happened?" Tara queried. Kitnee opened one eye, the other tightly closed to try and close out the pain.  
  
"I...I was...chased along by the Songless One. He almost caught me. I was fighting for my life, and for air. I slowed. But as soon as he almost had me pinned, I noticed my chance for salvation...I bit his front fin, and just as soon as the blood billowed the water did I see the..."  
  
"The what?"  
  
"...Let me rest...the Megalodon."  
  
Tara gasped. "You saw the king of the White Death?"  
  
"I have. He sensed the blood, and attacked the Basilosaurus. His tail bashed my side as I was fleeing. Soon enough, he will come after me, for the Hungry Ones are keen on blood. We must leave. Now."  
  
Tara was about to agree with him, but no sooner did they turn to leave then they swam right into a sixty-foot frame, ringed with teeth. In front was the gaping mouth and demon-like eyes of the Songless One. Behind them, the Megalodon could be seen swimming effortlessly to the new scent of blood. The great shark's eyes had no demon, nor spirit. They were as black as any Great White. Eyes that seemed to drill through its prey, saying to them, "I have chosen you to die."  
  
"What will we do now, O fearless Sniper?" Tara whispered.  
  
Kitnee snarled. "The Songless one is still bleeding slightly. When I say go, swim, and don't hesitate."

Just above the surface of a seemingly calm ocean, a ring of stars appeared with eager swiftness. Among the stars, a Flying Singer entered, and anchored to the air. Trellia had just appeared in the prehistoric era, a time not even perceived by the future dolphins. This was a date steeped in mystery for Trellia. She knew not where to go, nor what to do. But she had the advantage of air.  
Swift and silent, the young dolphin fluked through the low clouds in search for anything that looked like Kitnee or Tara. They could lead her to Radero, for he was too small to spot from so high.  
  
She flew over the land, and suddenly spied something new. Some canid-like creatures below were running towards the water, ten in all. They stopped, and even with their mouths closed, Trellia could hear singing. Inexperienced singing, but singing nonetheless. She decided to try and talk with these creatures.  
  
"Hello? Excuse me, but I noticed you could sing. Can you understand me?"  
  
The Mesyonichids ceased their song and looked upwards. As Trellia descended, they stood in a stupor. For the first time, extreme past met extreme future. Once, dolphins took the land. They wanted to play in the sea, and they did. Later they tried to fly, as they knew the great eagles could. They did.  
  
"Is that you, Quisheri? You've come! Please, help us!"  
  
Trellia was confused. "I am not this Quisheri, my name is Trellia, a Singer from the far future. Do you know Ecco; a dolphin with stars lining his brow?  
  
"Why, yes, we do! Wow, we shall take to the skies one day?"  
  
Trellia sighed. "Do you know where some other dolphins are, then?"  
  
Kii stepped forward. "Come down, Flying One. If you seek whom we sing the safety for, we shall tell you!"

* * *

Ecco felt cold, even in the warm but viscous water where he floated. He surveyed where he was; a great metallic box, with a small trickle of air lining the top. Inside with him were several cetacean-like creatures, and whenever Ecco glanced at them it filled his heart with extreme sadness. These Singers' smiling eyes were non existent, their mouths twisted to a frown which they could change, but dared not.

Gone was the true Delphine spirit, and here was a creature with lack of all hope. Ecco understood why, as this was the Vortex's kingdom. But the last time he stumbled upon this place, it had no life save for the creatures of the Vortex planet. Guarding the watery passages above were Vortex worms whose spiked bodies chased you until you faltered.  
  
"Ecco? That is a very strange designation, stranger," the strange Singer observed, ignorant of Ecco's apparent fear, as if he'd never read true emotions before. "My designation is K-542. These behind me are K-543 to K-546."  
  
Ecco turned back to the strange Singers. "You don't have names?"  
  
K-542 looked confused. "What is a name?"  
  
Ecco sighed. "I'll just call you Kone, then. That's a letter 'K', and the number one pushed together into another word."  
  
Kone stared. "Forgive me, friend. But none of us had the great fortune of being given names. Only our masters have names."  
  
The Bottlenose Singer didn't need to ask who their masters were. He gazed upon this small band of Singers, so desolate were they now. Each expression was a fated gaze of fear, pain, loss of hope. In this world, the Vortex destroyed everything, twisted the planet to suit their desires, and now had enslaved the sea's sentience. No longer were they to play. Each could never speak of hope; they were born never to know such a thing. Ecco couldn't imagine such a world, but it was right in front of him.  
  
Kone hung his head. "I can tell you come from another world. Let me explain about ours. Gender and age separate dolphins here. Once to the leisure of the masters is our kind allowed to see one another, once. When a calf is born, they are separated from their maternal parents and put into separate cages to be fed and raised. When they age, they are pushed to fight. The strongest are taken to the Vortex cities above to work. The weakest are put here, for a food source for their Queen. My comrades and I lived in this container for our entire lives, no others, very little food. Some of us are veterans; left weak by the slavery and miscare they had given us. If we cannot work, they take us here where our fate is to be eaten. We are not free and cannot ever try to hope. We tell stories of how our ancestors used to live, but it is only a racing pain for us to think such things happened. As we were taught, this planet had always belonged to the Vortex, and their strange genetic mutations of themselves they use as warriors. At times we are brought up to fight them, and we die. But we, we had no past, no future."  
  
Ecco's rage grew as he sank into the truth behind Kone's words. He knew the Vortex were evil, crazed, uncaring. But to stoop so low as to deny these creatures to a rightful death!  
  
"I cannot bear to see my kind like this. Look at you! Emaciated, blood stained, eyes lacking hope. Your flesh is worn to nothing but your swimming. Turned worthless! I must find a way home, and close this awful timeline!"  
  
"Ecco, I'm afraid you can't escape. There is no way out of here. Even if we found one, we'd be lost forever in the labyrinth of the alleys in the lower section. We'd be caught, eaten or perhaps tortured. Look at us, Ecco."  
  
He did. If he saw dolphins that never knew hope, love, care, then he saw nothing.  
  
"Now look at yourself. Ecco, if you want to keep your health, you must mind yourself."  
  
"NO!" Ecco's stern word startled the others in a gasp. "I cannot stay to see such pity. Dolphins ARE free will, love, compassion, wisdom, and courage. If you lose this...listen, you're singers, what do you sing about?"  
  
Kone looked thoughtful. "We sing of our horrid lives. Of stories that a great savior shall release us. Fiction."  
  
Ecco smiled. "Kone, your savior is here. I have been here before, and know how the Vortex operates. Back where I come from, Singers are free creatures. We live in the seas, leaping and playing, loving. Our pods don't just consist of only one gender and age. We live as families our whole lives. Mothers keep their calves with fierce protection. Only through death is love broken. I have traveled the world, through time itself to save the legacy of my kind. I want you now to tell me where to escape."  
  
"No!" Kone interjected, "You cannot survive out there. What proof do you have that your story is true?"  
  
"Why else do I have the appearance of health? Lead me to an escape route. I shall find my way to the Vortex Queen, and I swear by the stars of Delphineus you shall taste freedom, like you were meant to!"  
  
The strange Singer's anger arose. "Blasphemy! I will not..."  
  
"Let him go, brother," another Singer interjected, trying to stifle a cough at the same time. "He just may be the one."  
  
Kone stared at his brother. He was no different from the others, though somewhat smaller. He was stained the most with blood of others, suggesting his spirit was torn apart by the sight of his kind dying under the hands of the Vortex and their beasts. Plus, his cough suggested he was dying himself from illness.  
  
Kone sighed. "Alright, there's a small exit just above the surface. You may be able to fit through. If you claim you can exit the labyrinthine tunnels of the lower level, then you will be in the middle sanctum where the Killer Beasts roam. If you make it past them, you will find the main city, where their Queen resides."  
  
Ecco smiled. "Thank you, I will leave now."  
  
"Wait!" yelled. If you find a female up there, she was one of the ones chosen for work on the architecture. Her designation is R-763. She is my lost love...please; I was yearning to see her again. If you find her, tell her...."  
  
Ecco intervened. "I understand, friend...I will. I shall return." And with that, he swam to the surface, through the grate leading to the outside of the metal structure.  
  
As Kone watched him, he could never admit that he felt an extreme sense of hope now. But, as his comrades did, he quickly dismissed it. Hope was lost.


	15. 15

Chapter 15

Trellia followed the Land Singers from above as they led her to where they last saw Tara and Radero. Along the way they told her what had happened before.  
  
Trellia tried to get all of it straight. "So, they disappeared to look for the last Glyph, which has been hidden beneath the deep sea. Then they swam back after being chased by a whale which cannot sing, but Kitnee was still chased, so Tara went after him, then later Radero tried to find them, and that's were we are now?"  
  
Kii nodded. "That's correct. We are not sure as to what has happened after that. We just tried praying for their safety."  
  
"Have you also tried swimming out to look for them?" Trellia asked.  
  
"Yes. We cannot swim, as you do, no. We can only hope, yes."  
  
Then she saw the group stop at the water's edge, where in the distance she thought she saw a large black dorsal fin rise out of the ocean, but with a second look around she just confirmed she was seeing things because of confusion and sadness.  
  
"There, flying one, can you see towards where the sea meets the sky, and where the sun is setting now?" Kii inquired.  
  
Trellia turned towards that way, but she suddenly remembered their one-day time limit. What is time like back in Ecco's era? What havoc was wrecked further in her own era? How long until it's too late for Earth?  
  
Kii continued. "The two small gray singers and the big demonic black one are out that way. See if you cannot spot them from there. And good luck!"  
  
Trellia only nodded in response as she ascended to search the glistening water.

Radero was at the breaking point. "I'll never find anything just wandering in the dark," he told himself. "I must keep searching, I mustn't give up." Confident of his own bravado, the young Glyph Caller swam on, fearfully aware of the noises in his vicinity. But he was quite caught up within the thousand thoughts in his head; so much so that at one point he misused his sonar and slammed himself into a rock outcropping. His senses were brought back, and for the first time he actually noticed where he was.  
  
Near the canyon's bottom he could actually see the faint glow of the last Glyph. With the fused collection behind him, Radero quickly pumped towards the light, blind to what was behind him. All he envisioned was his goal in front.  
  
He ping-ed the Glyph; it's glowing moving faster and faster as his task was almost complete. It should be easy; all I have to do is get this one Glyph, this one little crystal...

Kitnee lunged at the Basilosaurus's fin again, spilling a larger amount of blood into the water than last time. "NOW!" he shouted. Tara immediately shot clear of the surface, away from the violence. Megalodon charged, and Kitnee escaped in just a mere split second from being trapped in two jaws. He matched Tara's speed as they fled from the scene, and they didn't dare look back again. They could hear the growls of fury and pain resonating through the water, each bite and cry a higher octave than the last.

Blood could be smelled from every direction, a fact known by the smaller Hungry Ones, which flocked to the scene of the battling leviathans. But the two singers were undaunted by the haunting sounds as they fled back to the beaches.  
  
On the way, Kitnee occasionally winced with the pain from the scar, and Tara was so filled with thoughts that one could hear part of it, if the area was silent enough.  
  
Suddenly, a sound like no other caught them in mid-swim. It did not come from any singer known, nor did it come from any other creature. This song was somewhat familiar, yet unknown. As they listened, something strange happened. Both Tara and Kitnee's minds were opened, and visions of a battle were clearly seen. The battle was between an entity made almost completely of colored globes, with a transparent creature entangled in its grasp. This creature's body was rounded, with two bright red eyes towards the front and two appendages to propel it through the water.  
  
"Kitnee...are you seeing this?"  
  
"Yes. It's the Asterite, back in the prehistoric era. He's fighting a huge...larva thing. He's sending a help message to all who could be able to see it."  
  
Tara was confused. "But the Asterite's messages are to singers only. And the only singers in this era live on land. Unless..."  
  
Kitnee finished. "Unless the Asterite knows we are here. I say we help it."  
  
Tara agreed with him on all counts, and together they turned towards the source of the mental cry for help.

Trellia was getting worried. The sky was darkening, as was the ocean, which mirrored the setting sun. If it got dark before she found her friends she'd most likely never find them in time.  
  
Suddenly she spotted a small gray streak moving under the waves. Behind it was a large crystal, glowing brighter than ever. Trellia recognized it as young Radero, moving with the Glyphs, singing the Caller's Song to keep them near.  
  
Trellia descended to where he was, ping-ing the water so as to get his attention. Radero stopped where he was and spyhopped. There was the Flying Singer above him, and he was glad to finally find someone he knew.  
  
"Trellia! What are you doing here? And where's Ecco?"  
  
Trellia laughed. "I see you've mastered your duties, young one." Radero smiled with pride, but Trellia's smile vanished. "Ecco...he disappeared. While we were trying to catch the Glyph Caller's soul. I have the amulet, but...I think Ecco...I think he died."  
  
Radero gasped. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Ecco...but, I thought death and his name didn't belong together."  
  
Trellia hung her head. "The strongest of souls meet their demise sooner or later. Even by force. But we cannot mourn for him now; we must find the others. Where are Kitnee and Tara?"  
  
"I've been trying hard to find them, but I don't know where to look. I don't know if they're eaten, or just lost, or what. And I know it's almost night."  
  
Trellia glanced at the sun, whose remnants passed below the horizon, darkening the skies further. The ocean's glittering surface dulled, now mirroring the few clouds that were left in the sky. The first stars could be seen further east.  
  
"Come Radero. We must search for them."  
  
Nothing more was said as the two singers fled from the scene, ever watchful for their missing friends.

* * *

Ecco slowly and cautiously swam through the darkened passages of the lower sector. A part of him still couldn't believe how the fate of his kind could change dramatically in a possible future.  
  
He knew that at all costs, he absolutely had to prevent the Vortex from taking control.  
  
The lower sector, unlike the area he found his way through once before, was made almost completely of water. He had to sonar his way through the passages, gathering detailed maps of where he was going. On the way, he had to hold back the thoughts of his friends: Trellia, Kitnee, Radero, and Tara. Though he had them in the back of his mind and waiting to push his concerns to the front, he had to concentrate hard to find his way through the darkness effectively. With determination in his heart, fearless ebony eyes, and hopes powering him more than his flukes did, the young dolphin pressed onward.  
  
_I have to get past this area, to top level. I know I have to, and I know I will._ That's all Ecco thought to himself as he mapped, swam, turned, mapped again.

Finally, after an hour and a half of making his way through the lower levels, he could finally sense light ahead of him. He powered onward.  
  
FLASH! His eyes tried to adjust to the sunlight after being almost trapped in darkness for so long. He peered out of a pool, out through a glass dome at a sun that looked as dead as the earth was. It was as if the sun was saying to Earth, "You're finished. Give up. As I am now."  
  
Ecco shook his head, realizing that was his own mind trying to trick him into quitting. Thinking it was worthless to even try.  
  
Ecco shot sonar rays in every direction. He found a smaller pool far below him. With one powerful jump, he shot above the surface, did a front flip, and fell downward through the air, nose diving into the other pool. After he landed under the water, he wondered how much longer before his kind could fly. Ecco felt no discomfort out of water here, as the air was terribly humid. He jumped out of the shallow pool and made his way around to the other side.  
  
Ecco knew this place all to well and shuddered. He had just found where he was the first time he visited the Vortex future. And he also knew all to well his way around. With a few shortcuts, he'd find his way to the top Vortex cities, and finally close this dimension. His stars glowed with an amazing intensity as he thought about it.

"SCREEEE!" The Vortex worm screeched as it waved its spiky body with grace through the viscous waterways, chasing its prey. The small yellow dolphin tried swimming fast, pumping her almost useless tail. With another screech, the worm cornered the dolphin. She cowered before it, her gills flaring, trying to intimidate it. But try as she may, the worm advanced, ignorant of her poor efforts. It's jaw opened...

Ecco's muscles ached. Jump after jump made on metallic surfaces only to land in dirty water was not his idea of a good swim. But he ignored his pains. He landed in another small pool, weaving throughout the cold steel that the Vortex used. Suddenly a horrible sight befell him as he turned a corner.  
  
A giant Vortex worm wove back and forth through the water. It's already bloodied jaws gnashing, hoping for another meal. Ecco immediately charged at it, sonar shredding through its body faster than a shark menacing a wounded whale. Its head sank to the bottom of the tunnel. Ecco shuddered as he swam through an area that, even if he didn't taste it, he knew was completely drenched in dolphin blood.  
  
After awhile, he reached a sub-section of the middle sector. Here he could actually hear living creatures' voices echoing quietly through the tunnels. He stopped swimming and listened. The sounds were mournful.  
  
Singing voices chanted slowly, painfully, sadly. As Ecco advanced, the chanting grew louder, and it was mixed with commanding growling. He moved closer, and he heard mixed with the sounds yet another...a strange voice that almost seemed to sing but mixed it with growling and gnashing.  
Ecco made his way through the last tunnel and peeked out from a steel structure at what was going on. What he saw almost made him gasp the water.  
  
Singers, many of them. They numbered in the hundreds. Many were kept in cages and jeered at by the Vortex drones. Others wore harnesses, slaving over work, trying to build up the city. And the rest were being gathered and thrown in another pool of some sort. There he saw faint splashing and heard horrible growls. The taste of carnage was evident among the metal he was encased in.  
  
Ecco's anger rose steadily. With every singer he saw abused, his emotions were triggered. This future should never even be thought of, he thought with ultimate disgust. He urged to charge at the nearest Vortex drone. But he also knew doing that would land him into serious trouble. He waited, then slowly swam to the entrance of the structure. Soon enough he'd run into the outside, where the Vortex were roaming on guard.

The cries of despair were deafening. In rooms adjacent to the one he was in, Ecco could hear as dolphin children were separated from their mothers. He heard the cries of mates being separated. He tried to ignore the cries, but it was impossible.  
  
In another room adjacent to him, he heard Vortex voices. _Probably in a meeting,_ he thought to himself. _Soon it will be broken up.  
_  
Ecco braced himself. Just outside where he was were two Vortex drones, their issued weapons cocked at the ready. He sensed no other creature in the tunnel, and with a quick movement of his song and his charge he powered out of the crack in the steel and disposed of them before they could call for help. But right behind him was another drone, though far different.  
  
"Ssssssssinger..."  
  
Ecco turned, and met the gaze of something huge. It looked like something Vortex, and some cetacean thrown in as well. Its eyes were black, its heavily muscular body black. The cetacean-like tail was whitened, its legs and arms white as well. Small spots just above the eyes copied the color of the tail and the appendages. Its mouth wasn't Vortex, more like a true jaw. It stood over him, the blades on its long tail base thrashing behind it. It stared down at a surprised Ecco, who knew now what the dolphins below meant when they said, "Killer Beasts".  
  
This creature was a hybrid of orca and Vortex.  
  
"Y...you can sing...what do you want with me?" Ecco asked of it cautiously.  
  
The beast looked down at him. "Sssinger..." it crowed, half singing and half growling in the Vortex tongue, "What arrre you doing herre? Aren't you sssupppossed to be down in the work fields?"  
  
Ecco wondered why the creature wouldn't finish him off, knowing all the destruction he witnessed before. "I'm not here to work," he gulped. "I am here to set the future free. And the dolphins along with it."  
  
The beast roared and knocked Ecco out with its tail as soon as the last word was uttered.


	16. 16

Chapter 16

The sun was finally below the horizon.  
  
Kitnee swam forth with Tara, following the Asterite's call. The orca winced with every fin stroke; the young dolphin at his side very much angered with impatience and worry.  
  
As they approached Dark Water, the water suddenly felt purer. Tara though, much like Ecco, could still sense evil within the twisted times.  
  
When they arrived, they dropped into a battle amongst various creatures. Ancient sharks were killing one another and small normally peaceful fish gathered to overtake larger ones.  
  
"This is very strange...what could be causing such pain in these waters?"  
  
Kitnee didn't answer her, but merely growled with fury. Tara turned to see her friend's eyes were completely black and emotionless, much like the sharks. He lunged at the small dolphin with a sudden strike of teeth.  
  
Tara dodged. "Kitnee, what is wrong with you? Kitnee! It's Tara, remember? Your friend?"  
Kitnee seemed to ignore her as he turned his massive bulk to Tara to strike again. She gulped and powered away from him, down into a crevice.  
  
When she was confident the orca wasn't following her anymore, her sonar led her to an opening to a large cavern, where she felt tremendous energy from between the rocks. Squeezing herself through, she finally found herself staring at the great entities before her; the ancient Asterite locked in combat with a giant Vortex larva. The transparent creature was locked betwixt the multicolored globes of the Asterite, tearing at each one with its powerful front tentacles.  
  
Tara suddenly felt an unspeakable rage, which she guessed took the mind of Kitnee; for it wasn't rage she brought from will such as anger...but something else.  
  
Ignoring the rage in her mind, she focused on her own anger. Jaw wide open and killer sonar at the ready, she lunged at the Vortex larva amongst the Asterite's globes. However, she was battling in vain; the Vortex was locked in a field of electricity, courtesy of the Asterite's power.  
  
She recoiled, and suddenly it spoke to her.  
  
**Tara. Do not try to fight, for it is pointless.  
**  
The singer shook her head out of her trance. "But, I heard a distress call from you. My friend and I heard it."  
  
**I know. I sent for both of you. Yet only you found me. Had I known your friend was an orca, I'd not have been so mistaken.  
**  
Tara shook her head. "I thought you knew everything..."  
  
**I do not, not anymore. My power was taken from me, partially. As you can see, one globe is missing. As a result, I cannot hold the Vortex Queen for long. She is almost to metamorphosis to her true hermaphroditic form. She could repopulate the planet with her evil drones if not contained. Right now, she is sending tremendous waves of energy that signals her metamorphosis. Waves that corrupt any mind hiding the slightest bit of rage, even hidden. It must have tapped into the orca's mind, into the tendencies of a killer, hidden from view. As a result, his mind is lost.  
  
**Tara shivered as the Vortex larva squirmed against the wall of globes. The murderous creature repulsed her. "What can I do?"  
  
**One of two things. Either find my missing globe, or find Ecco himself.  
**  
Tara sighed. "I can't do either...Ecco is in another dimension, and your future self has your globe."  
  
**Then I shall send the remainder of my power to the Glyphs, which follow the young Radero. They shall aid in sending you back to your time...50 million years later. Return to me my globe, that then the past shall be saved.**  
  
Tara sighed. _Now I have Ecco's job?  
_  
**A final thing. Whilst the Vortex Queen is changing her form, the orca will continue to fight as a shark. You have no choice but to leave him in this time until the force is negated.  
  
**Tara gasped. "But...leave him...I cannot! No!"  
  
**No choice...no time...go, now!  
**  
The dolphin nodded with understanding and quickly fled as the Asterite's power quickly failed. The queen was free for the time being. Tara tried to shut her mind from the forces of brutality.

Trellia sighed. "Aren't we ever going to find them?"  
  
Radero just shook his head, the crystal behind him glowing. But when they stopped for a brief moment to gaze at the sunset, a hurt cry was heard from their right. Swimming with great speed towards them was Tara!  
  
Radero squeaked with happiness. Trellia gasped with relief.  
  
Tara stopped in front of them and nuzzled both with her beak tip, a small version of a Delphine hug. "Finally, I found you!"  
  
Trellia backed up. "Tara, where is Kitnee? Did you not find him?"  
  
Tara hung her head. "Long story. Look, we have to get out of this era, right now. Do you have all the Glyphs?"  
  
Radero nodded. "Good," Tara sighed. "Trellia. Take us back. I'll explain on the way there."  
  
Trellia froze staunchly. "I am not moving until you tell me what happened with you."  
  
Tara's eyes turned dark. "I can't tell, there is no time! Come on, take us back, use the Glyphs!"  
  
Radero stared Tara straight in the eye. "Kitnee's our friend too. I wanna know what happened to him!"  
  
Tara sighed. "Fine. Have it your way...stubborn singers."  
  
Tara started the short story, from when she left Radero, to the fight with the Basilosaurus and Megalodon, to the Vortex Queen and the weakened Asterite.  
  
Trellia gasped. "The Vortex Queen is changing form? No wonder I feel tremendous energy from these waters. We had better leave."  
  
Tara glared, but let it go. Radero felt nervous as Trellia harnessed the power of the Glyphs and called down the Song of Transport. Before they left, Tara spotted Kii on the land. "Kii! Our orca friend has to be left here! Please watch the sea!"  
  
The mesyonichid nodded as the three disappeared, leaving Kitnee behind.

* * *

Ecco slowly opened his eyes, his vision slightly blurred. He was exhausted in mind and spirit, and there was a tremor of pain through his body as he tried to move. His fluke fluttered in the water slowly.  
  
"Where am I...?" he muttered slowly to himself. As his vision cleared, he began to inspect himself, as he felt he shouldn't look at his surroundings just yet. There was a sharp pain along his side, as if he was just earlier hit by something. He glanced up, but he didn't see any surface...nay, there was just blackness.  
  
Then he braced himself for what he was in. As his ebony eyes surveyed, his memory began to come back to him. He had encountered the Killer Beast...the feel of a hard blow against his flank...it ended there.  
  
_Shouldn't I be dead?_ He wondered as he poked his encasement with his beak. The structure he was in was made almost completely of glass, with the same viscous and dirty water he had been swimming in earlier. Questions raced through his mind as he finally came to. Where was he, and why didn't the Beasts kill him? Did the Vortex know he was here?  
  
Then he felt anger swelling up inside of him again. He remembered seeing his kind, enslaved and exploited by the Vortex. He watched as the drones used them, toyed with them...as if they were nothing. Dolphins had become extinct here.  
  
He began to gather up his fight song, to shatter the glass he was in. But just then, a small shock was sent through the water and made him wince, stopping the song to but a small blast of sonar.  
  
He swerved, wondering what the cause of it was. There in front of him was a Killer Beast.  
  
His eyes were filled with murderous desire, his jaws working as if he anticipated a large meal of Ecco. But instead, he spoke to him. "Ssssinger...you're awake now, I ssssee. Don't try to essscape, it'ss pointlesss."  
  
"Where am I?" Ecco demanded. "Where have you brought me? Let me go!"  
  
The Beast grinned. "Patience...all will be anssswered in a moment..." Then, he lifted his large, dangerous claw and pressed a button. Immediately, the glass lifted from around him, and he was grabbed by two of the beasts, their bladed tails hanging at his throat. "Don't ssstruggle, you'll only be hurt. We need to take you with uss..."  
  
Ecco didn't bother to use his song, but instead he was curious as to where they were taking him. With the utmost false bravado that lay within him, he let them take him to wherever they were to take him.

The trip was actually quite long. It took them about fifteen minutes to travel from one large building to another. In-between, they had passed into a tubeway through the outside. Ecco saw that the sun had set here. It was nightfall, and very few life forms could still be seen wandering below in the waters. He saw no dolphins, but quite a few Vortexes, guards most likely.  
  
He glanced up at the sky, and saw that even that had changed. The ruined atmosphere made the sky greenish instead of the normal pitch-black with stars. Stars could still be seen, but very few. Even the constellation Delphineus was hidden from view, also hiding any hope the dolphins had with them. The moon was crimson red, and had grown many times the normal size, just as seen in Lunar Bay.  
  
Ecco gave a brief whistle of a sigh; he never wanted to admit it, but the Earth had indeed lost its formal beauty. It had become nothing more than a wasted Vortex planet, with the moon looking down with pity upon the sea. Delphineus only knew if the tides were still affected by the orb.

After the trip, the beasts entered a small enclosure near the bottom, lying upon the sea. A tube led into it and into a pool of water. Inside was much larger than the structure had shown...a pool about as large as a bay, with but a small shrine-looking building near the center. That was where the Killer Beasts were taking Ecco.  
  
The young dolphin toughened up and braced himself for whatever he was coming to. As they swam ever closer, Ecco noticed other Beasts glancing his way, their eyes either filled with curiosity, hunger, malice, or perhaps...hope?  
  
As they entered the shrine, the Beasts shoved Ecco forward and shut the door behind him. He swerved around defensively, noticing he is surrounded by about five to ten of the merciless creatures, and stared up at two devilishly gleaming eyes in the darkness, far above him. It spoke to him in a low, dangerous voice.  
  
"So, you're the dolphin that claims he will set the singers free?"  
  
Ecco glared at the creature. "Who are you to ask me that?"  
  
Just at that moment, a light shone from above upon the creature. Ecco gasped when he saw its size...twice as large as the Killer Beast that captured him. Muscles rippled along his tail and appendages, his tremendous jaw filled with such teeth that could probably rip through steel. His markings were slightly different from the others, more orca-like than anything else was. The Beast smirked at him and spoke again.  
  
"Still so brave after all these years...those stars lining your brow never fade with you, Ecco, my friend."  
  
Ecco gasped again and backed away. His body shook, horrified. He gulped, as he instantly recognized the voice as it turned slightly gentler. He sung lowly. "Kitnee?"  
  
The creature towered over him. "In a sense, yes, I am Kitnee...my Vortex future version, of course."  
  
Ecco shook his head to clear himself. "But how could you be alive? This is far in the future...you can't be..."  
  
Kitnee just laughed. "But I am, Ecco. And feel free to sing anything you want to me. You are in the enclosure where the Killer Beasts are kept. The Vortex doesn't line this place with devices for spying.  
  
Now, calm yourself and listen to me, Ecco, and I shall explain everything to you."  
  
Then, Kitnee waved his arm and the rest of the Beasts immediately backed up. Ecco watched, still surprised at all the happenings. He turned back to his once-friend. The large orca-beast turned back to him. "Listen carefully to me, Ecco, and I shall tell you what had happened to me...it started long ago, during our mission to gather Glyphs from the Earth's past."  
  
Ecco listened intently, as that's the era where Tara and Radero were. He was also very worried about what might have happened to Trellia.  
  
Kitnee started his story, a grave expression shining within his eyes. "I shall tell you what I can remember. Back in the prehistoric era, things were going as normal. Radero had succeeded in collecting the Glyphs. But later, we were separated. Tara and I searched long and hard for Radero, but instead we found the dwelling of the Asterite.  
  
Just then, I had lost my mind...some terrible force had caused me to revert to a more ancient side, filled with nothing but ferocity and hatred. I lunged for Tara, but it was lucky enough she dodged into the rock. I overheard some of what they were saying to one another...about the Vortex queen, starting her metamorphosis and taking her rage upon the planet one last time.  
As that happened, the creatures in the area lost their minds as well. Sharks challenged and ate anything in sight, including their brothers and sisters. Fish gathered in large schools to war against one another. The trilobites crawled along the bottom and fought with the sand-dwelling fish.  
Tara then made the decision to go back into the present and recover the missing globe from the Asterite...and leave me behind.  
  
"Just as they left, the Vortex queen had completed her metamorphosis, into a full-bodied drone. She commanded each creature brought under her control to attack the bay and others along with it.  
  
"Later, the Vortex armada came, to begin their scouting of the planet. The queen quickly took over, and they attacked in vast numbers, destroying land and sea alike.  
  
"And I was the first they had captured and held within their terrible grasp. They didn't devour me, nay...instead, I just watched the Earth disappear as they took me back to their planet.  
My body didn't live forever, of course. I was an experiment to them. They adored the species of 'orca', for being the ruthless, cunning hunters they had so reputed. Throughout the ages, genetic modifications were made with my DNA, along with the Vortex Queen's. She was allowed to live forever with these constant changes, as was I.  
  
"My body started changing. With evolution, my brain was saved from death many times, with new genes evolved into my body to keep it from aging. With these mutations, I became the strongest of their forces, the Killer Beast. As well, my spirit started to change...I watched as more of my kind were enslaved and put through these same mutations, with their hungers becoming more intensified.  
  
"I watched the attack on Atlantis. I watched as the Glyph Caller himself fell back into near oblivion...and I saw you, Ecco, spiraling into the sky towards a new dimension, this one. I saw Trellia disappear, perhaps back to the present.  
  
"And now, because you have disappeared, you aren't there to save the Earth as expected...the Vortex were free to alter this planet as they so desired, made it their own, and enslaved all last traces of sentience...except for humans, for they had fled long ago.  
  
"And that's what caused this that you see before you," Kitnee finished.  
  
Ecco just stared ahead; his teeth gritted with anger and sadness, more so than he had ever felt in his entire life. The Beasts surrounding him uttered low songs of hope and longing. Even the creature that captured him sank his head within shame.  
  
Kitnee sighed as well. "What do you make of this, my friend?"  
  
Ecco silently gathered himself, his gaze cast to the ground. After a moment, he glanced up again, and uttered lowly. "I can't allow this to go on any longer...no matter what, I vow to return to the dolphins of this future that which they lost...and end this horrible timeline once and for all!"  
  
The orca smiled. "I'm glad you still think that way, Ecco. I may know just how to do that."  
  
Ecco looked at him curiously. "How?"  
  
Kitnee chuckled lightly. "You need to know the social structure of the Vortex, first. Much like insects, the Vortex is a hive. In a hive, only the queen is able to give orders. The other drones are like cells, incomplete without a master. Their queen is their brain, and the drones are her machines, a symbiotic relationship.  
  
"Here's the good part. If we can kill the queen, once and for all, then the Vortex will die as well. The Vortex half of us will die, leaving only the orca. After that, the future's course will be changed forever."  
  
Ecco felt like doing a tail walk of joy, hearing the glimmer of hope. But he remembered that's all it was...a glimmer. He remembered Kone, and his request to him about his mate, who was still enslaved.  
  
He nodded to Kitnee. "How do we do that, then?"  
Kitnee smiled again. "The first thing we need to do is to get rid of the queen as she is now. After that, the Vortex drones will disappear, as well as the Vortex mind within us. But to get to the queen, we need to get to her source of energy..." 


	17. 17

Chapter 17 

Tara was more than exhausted. No dolphin ever exhausted itself while swimming, for they owned the ocean. But on time travel, she didn't see any reason why any creature could endure such mental torture.

Upon Trellia's part, the process was using her energy and song, fueled by the power of the remaining Glyphs. Radero kept close to her, though he too could feel the tense atmosphere revolving around the Singers. Each had a differing thought of dread, hopelessness, quivering and screaming nerves of stress such that a carefree spirit of the sea had never felt before.

Trellia was stricken with her own guilt. This entire story begun when she sensed a great presence from the sky of her own home, in the form of a crimson wave of darkness and fog that swept her ocean. _It has my world now, _she berated herself, _The evil one has my peaceful world...the sentient ocean...the water tubes which we follow all over the earth..._

_Tiderider...my love...I refused to believe you had given up, being the last true descendant of the Glyph Caller himself...the Glyph guardian of Atlantis...And now it has you too._

Trellia's thoughts were jumbled. She thought of how she dragged her great-eons-grandfather, Ecco, into a mess she could have tried to solve herself. _No, _she thought, _he wanted to help me. He wouldn't have stopped until the problem was solved. Such was his attitude with Vortex, such as he shall always be..._

She remembered the Sky Killers, the future nearly forgotten descendants of the mighty Orcas. She remembered their leader, Teo, perhaps the last Orca to keep the cetaceans' powers of song. Now he was dragged in a fight he was sure to have lost, along with his comrades.

Now she was remembering the early dolphin ancestors, the Land Singers, and Kii. Their future was spiraling down the darkest hole, which by tales told only Ecco and his blood could fill. He was the "stone that split the river," the one fated to seal alternate futures and secure the one true future: her own.

Trellia's own strong mind was starting to falter and break down, just like the Glyphs. Because of her emotions, she could no longer concentrate fully on her Song of Transport, causing the strands of time to warp around them as they traveled slowly back at a stressful, leisurely pace.

Radero was most confused. Long he has thought he was just like the other calves of the pod, free of worry and much discipline. Now Ecco comes to him with a grand adventure that ended up filling his mind with worry. Worry for his hero, Ecco. Worry for his traveling companions: Tara, Trellia, and the Orca that they left behind, Kitnee. Worry for the father whom he only met for a solemn moment before he was called to a harsh duty. Worry for his mother...for the pod...

...For the world.

But of all the worry, Tara seemed most quarrelsome with her innermost powers. Her worried gaze was averted from the others, staring blankly at the sickening, twisted strands of time that passed her in the blink of a cosmic eye. _Funny,_ she thought, _nothing could be more twisted than my heart._

Ever since she was a calf, she, Ecco, and Kitnee were all good friends. They went on their own small adventures. Ecco the leader, Kitnee the worrier, she the warrior. The day they worked together to find the Big Blue and learn his vast wisdom she would never forget. That was the day, the pod sang, that they became true adults. Ever since, she always thought of what was best for her best friends. The day the pod was captured by the Vortex, she watched from within the bowels of the feeding Vortex Queen as Ecco charged into an almost impossible battle, achieving victory and saving his kind.

She helped him as he did so again, passing through the dangers of Lunar Bay to face the Queen. _We have grown too much now, _she realized without doubt, _all of us have finally grown too far apart. So much for intertwining destinies._

And now, along with a small calf and a shadow that dwelled within a descendant from the far future, she was leaving Kitnee in the past, under the guard of an almost beaten Asterite, to an unknown fate. _Would Ecco have left Kitnee behind? What friend am I?_

And if that wasn't the worse thing to come, Trellia had to transport herself from another dimension of time with impossible news for Tara to bear. She heard the entire story of their visit to the ancient city of Atlantis, where they encountered the very moment that sealed the fate of its kind. In a vicious war with the Vortex, a beam struck from one of their ships. Intercepting the beam was the Glyph Caller and his array of powers gathered with Atlantis's crystals.

Intercepting the Caller was Ecco. Trellia watched helplessly as he was thrown into the sky, as dimensions literally ripped apart at the seams. The Caller was immortal, so his body lived. His persona was carried now within the Elder's Stone, retrieved by Trellia, ready to be given back to him in her time.

But Ecco was lost. Trellia had told them that Ecco was lost, and possibly dead.

_Possibly dead..._those words struck her heart. _No, Ecco could not be dead...he just couldn't, it wasn't possible. Nothing could kill Ecco, _she had argued in her mind.

She was angry. Partly at Trellia for seeming to have given up, leaving Ecco for dead with her words. Angry with herself for failing her abilities as a friend. Angry with Ecco for being so brave and admirable. He was a paladin, a martyr.

She gave herself a mental fluke slap. _Foolish! Nobody writes Ecco off yet! Not while I'm around._

That's when she grinned inwardly. She finally admitted to herself what she had kept hidden for so long. She admired Ecco for being the warrior she only pretended to be. Her old naïve friend...

_This is for you Ecco, _she chided herself, _as long as I'm still alive, then so are you. I shall do this for you, Ecco the old fool. Ecco my old friend._

Ecco...the one I love... 

"That's it, I am tired of going so slow!" she suddenly sang out loud, which brought curious gazes from Trellia and Radero. She grinned at them with an almost unnatural glow. "Trellia, sing louder. Radero, keep your song going as well, calf. I'm not about to let Ecco's descendent and the destined of Glyph Caller blood let him down. If the Asterite wants his globe, then we find it."

Trellia whistled a laugh to Tara. "How can you be so sure of things?"

Tara averted her gaze again, muttering her answer. "Only because it's on our fins now, my great-eons granddaughter."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ecco was on the verge of his own victories. It was dawn now, and the Vortex drones could already be heard shuffling out of their respective quarters. There were muffled songs of despair coming from every direction. Ecco tried with all of his will to block out the noise of his kind, hurt and deprived of all hope. He had to unless he wished to be discovered.

He was traveling behind Kitnee as he led the other Killer Beasts to their stations. Ecco had on a muzzle to cover his beak and disable his sonar, chains around his fluke and body, and a faceplate to hide his eyes and star markings. In this part of the plan, he was to act as prisoner to the Killer Beasts. This way, he could be kept in confinement far from the other Singers, far from much communication, and especially far from harm. Industrious as the Vortex were, they were somewhat lazy when it came to capturing prisoners. Not many dolphins had the bravery and will to try and escape their bondage. Because it was so rare, whenever one did they were held on the lowest priority of the Vortex, their fate forever undecided and forgotten.

The mutant Orcas, despite their great strength, had the duty of searching for and recapturing the escaped dolphins. To Ecco's relief, the Vortex guards paid them no mind when they passed the upper chambers toward where the Queen was kept. Ecco could see the building clearly; it rose from the ocean's disabled surface, several thousands of feet into the air. Connected from it were water tubes, which the Vortex and their dolphin servants traveled through to the central region. There the Singers would be put to work, tortured, or fed to the various Vortex animals when they were deemed useless.

Ecco watched from behind the glass tubes they were traveling up. The dolphins were herded out from separate cells and prisons, each of them wearing a band around their fins denoting where they were stationed. Kitnee had told Ecco all about how the dolphins were used and separated.

Those with white bands were for simple maintenance work, repairing any machinery that went faulty. Those with blue bands built and added to the grand tower. The Singers with green bands were towards the lower end of the work spectrum; the ones deemed unfit to work because of their rebellion and beliefs. They were tortured each day with horrendous work and no sustenance.

Finally, the ones with red bands had Ecco's heart swelling and aching with anger. These Singers were doomed to die, fed either to the Vortex Queen or the carnivorous animals brought from the Vortex home world. His kind, after so many years with Earth's seas under Vortex control, was weakened beyond recovery.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Kitnee's rough voice broke the still and torturous silence after a few moments; "I often hated being an Orca, being the only species favored for power by the Vortex. I would much rather have died than taken part in all of this."

Ecco could only nod in agreement, staring out again as they rose in the water tube above the sounds of pain and anguish. He remembered the promise he made to Kone, wondering where his mate was being kept. _I vowed to free my kind from this tyranny once and for all, _he coached himself, _I too would rather die than ignore that._

Finally, they entered a chamber inside the great tower. Using the Vortex language, Kitnee and the other Killer Beasts requested permission from the guards of the prisoners to relieve them of duty. They gratefully agreed and started to swim off behind a partition separating the prisoner's cells. What they didn't expect was that a few of Kitnee's friends were waiting for them there. Ecco heard a muffled screech from them, nothing more, as he was escorted to a cell.

Once there, Kitnee removed Ecco's muzzle and chains, but left on his faceplate to hide his markings; for certainly the Queen would recognize him. "Okay, remember our plan," he reminded Ecco, "Your job here is to free these prisoners and have them lead you to the Queen's quarters, which is only five levels from where we are. I will gather all of the Orcas and lead a raid on the working grounds. That will keep the Vortex drones distracted while you all destroy the Queen's power source. Right about now that would be her feeding state. Disconnect the machine from her, empty the food stores, and attack with all your power. Once she tries to escape in larval form, all of you find a way to lead her within the machine. The only true way to destroy the Queen is to crush her, and even in larval form she never actually entered the machine herself. That's her only weakness; the Vortex are terribly claustrophobic of very tight areas. Once the Queen's brain is crushed, so will be her hold on her drones. They will disappear, and so will the Vortex side of us."

He nodded. "Thanks." He chuckled, "You know, you're nothing like the Kitnee I knew. When we were young you've always been the cautious one."

The great mutant Orca just chuckled back, showing his rows of brilliantly sharp teeth. "Perhaps it's the Vortex blood. Or maybe I've just seen too much pain and hurt to ever stay myself anymore. Either way..." he rolled his eyes upward as if remembering something from far away, "I wish you luck as always, my friend."

Ecco smiled. "As I do you, Kitnee. Try not to get yourself killed up there."

He smiled wryly. "Me? There is no way they ever can." With that, he called the other Killer Beasts behind him and headed down the tube again. Ecco turned toward the cells, where prisoners were kept.

The downcast Singers lifted their heads as they saw him approaching. His faceplate gleamed in the small bits of sunlight that streamed in through the various holes that was the result of neglect on the building. His song of greeting to them seemed to make them all glance in his direction. These were the dolphins that always tried to escape, who had their streak of rebelliousness still within them. Surely, these were the ones who could best cooperate with Ecco.

The largest of one group in the middle sang back to him, challenging. "My name is Hunju, formerly R-763. Who goes there, friend or foe?"

Ecco hung back in the shadows, struck by what he just remembered. _This is she! Kone's lost mate! She is reminiscent of Tara, if she is the leader of the rebels here._

"Answer us!" she demanded again.

Ecco chuckled and entered within full view of all of them. "My name is Ecco. And I've come to save you all."


	18. 18

Chapter 18 

The familiar sight of Home Bay came back into full vision quickly. Trellia's song died down quickly, her mind eager to continue the duty of her friends. Tara immediately recovered from her slight dizziness and sent waves of communicative song resounding throughout the coral. Radero followed after them as fast as his small fluke could, carrying behind him the great Glyph of which he himself crafted using an ancient and forgotten song. Unlike the Glyphs of his home, some of which he saw were scattered in pieces and no longer glowing, the Glyphs gathered from the age before Singers held a steadfast hope. They glowed brightly and most brilliantly, sparkling like true crystals of the earth; with a much greater power behind them.

Upon hearing the songs of the returned, the pod was nearly rejoicing. The first sight that had come into view was that of the Asterite, the great and mysterious entity whose double-helix strand of balls held mystery and awesome powers of song. Behind it, Tara was relieved to see Ecco's mother and the rest of the pod safe and sound here in the bay, for now. Radero squealed with excitement as he reunited with his mother and father, though Enuia seemed more relieved than he did.

"Well done Radero," Lonus chuckled, "you have completed a great task. My son, I am proud to call you a true descendant of the Glyph Caller bloodline."

"Was that task coming back alive, father?" Radero asked incredulously.

Lonus rolled his eyes at his son and gave him a playful shove with his snout. "That is only one of your great attributes. You seem just like Ecco in a way."

Radero grinned. _I? As great as Ecco? I never thought I would ever hear that, _he thought.

Tara meanwhile confronted the Asterite, while Trellia watched from nearby. The great entity's orbs seemed to rotate faster upon her approach, as if he could read her mind. The young dolphin started to speak, but she was cut off.

**I know of what you return for, Tara, there is no need to say it nor no need to worry. I have received a telepathic message from my past self, and I know I must return the globe to it. We must hurry as well, for you have been gone for an entire day. Glance at the sky, and tell me what you see.**

She did, and gasped loudly. The moon was full, and had grown extremely large in the night sky; five times its normal size. There was a slightly reddish halo enveloping the orb, causing the lunar light mirrored on the ocean's salty surface to appear greatly troubled and distorted.

In all of her distraction, she had forgotten that they had a deadline before the mysterious darkness enveloped this timeline: the next harvest moon, when the moon's size would match that of when Lunar Bay was covered in vile energy.

And now it seemed the deadline was passing quicker the more they wasted time. Tara slipped back beneath the surface to face the Asterite as it spoke again.

**I must inquire now as to the whereabouts of Ecco. Was he not with you, Trellia, when you traveled to Atlantis with him?**

At that reminder, the young Sky Singer sagged, her long fins looking like flailing and broken flesh beneath her. "Ecco...well...when we observed the Glyph Caller rising to face the Vortex forces, he was accidentally thrown into a ripped dimension. And now...I have doubts...I doubt if he's even alive."

That earned her immediate scorn and songs of disapproval from every Singer who overheard, along with a death glance from Tara. She heard various argumentative mutters: "Ecco cannot be dead, he's immortal!" and "Don't be a fool, you weren't there when it happened!"

The Asterite, however, sent an unexplainable wave of calm through everyone to quell the conflict. **Trellia, do not dispair your ancestor. For it was I who bequeathed unto him his powers of invincibility and immortality. No matter how great the danger, how powerful the wind, how remote the dimension, we all have faith he is alive and is therefore searching for a way back here now. I am surprised at you, of all Singers, could doubt this.**

Trellia's guilt welled up in her body and heart once more. It was true, the first time she met him she had no doubt he would find his way through the Sky Tubes, past the Domain of Medusa, and over Eagle's Bay. A known hero then and better reputed now. She turned her head away and closed her eyes, unable to glance into the faces of those that loved and knew Ecco far better than she did. _How could Ecco look at me now, after I pronounced him dead?_

**Dispair not, Trellia. I sense everyone here is troubled in some way by these tragic events. But now all good hearts are scattered through the Tides of Time: Ecco in an unforeseen future or past, and Kitnee's brave heart is painfully trying to suppress his mind from true destruction. We must hurry; I have a last assignment for all of you, one that is certain to decide the outcome of this fierce strain of battles. The fate of the world rests not just on the hero Ecco, but on the wits and fins of those who influenced his pure heart best.**

**Trellia, use the power of Radero's Glyphs combined with your song and some of my strength. Take the Caller's persona back with you to the time from whence you first came, for your battle now is there. Afterward, Tara must take my globe back to the past, and aid Kitnee. As for you, young Radero; and you too, Lonus; you are now the caretakers. Find as many Glyphs as each of you can find with the Caller's Song that still hold their Atlantean powers.**

"But great Asterite, what do we hope to accomplish with such a task?" Lonus inquired.

The globes again whirred and glowed softly, the Asterite's form of a knowing chuckle. **We are going to reenact the original Glyph Caller's feat back in Atlantis. Only this time, with the Caller's Song united with songs of hope from heroes in other times and dimensions; and of course from the Hero himself and all of his blood, whom Delphineus has chosen, we will seal the Tides of Time once and for all.**

* * *

The path to the Queen's chamber was indeed swarming with more Vortex drones. Songs of battle echoed across the tubes and around the vast valley over a broken ocean. Below in a transparent wall, Ecco could see Killer Beasts already on an assault, their army diverging and surrounding the field. Work immediately stopped, drones were destroyed, and Singers set free. Ecco marveled at Kitnee's strength and leadership; they could have liberated the dolphins from the Vortex long ago.

_No, they couldn't have, _Ecco realized, _as long as the Vortex has control, they could not have found such strength without me. This HAD to happen...they were expecting me..._

But Ecco shook himself from darker matters and focused on his task ahead. His small army of about fifty or more dolphins surrounded him within the vast machine chamber, disabling the robotics and machinery with sonar as strong as that of Ecco's. He himself charged through the remains of the metallic bubble, charging the drones that came after him his killer sonar, one by one causing the drones to separate head from body. The head was destroyed, the body a useless mass of arms and a reptilian tail that no longer floated. He powered through every level, his determination and battle cries tuning out the deafening roar of the alarms.

"Ecco!" Hunju called after him, "Do not charge ahead, I am to lead you there!"

The young hero stopped and turned to face the rebel. "I can find her on my own now, Hunju," he sang slowly, his gentle ebony eyes burning with hatred, "See to it your army doesn't destroy the machine, just defend yourselves from the drones. When my signal comes, the Queen will face her demise."

He added with malice in his voice, "She must die." He then smiled warmly to her, "And when this is done, return to the lower levels, and retrieve your mate, and tell him I have kept my promise. He awaits you."

Hunju only gave him a curt nod in reply as she commanded her armada to cease destruction of the machine. Ecco swam against the current and up the tunnels that led to the top level. The last the rebels heard of Ecco were his songs of battle, the charge and sound of sonar against the soft bodies of Vortex drones, and their screams of pain when they finally knew what defeat meant. Only when they stopped coming and retreated did she express surprise that Ecco knew what her dream was.

He blasted through glass with his sonar, shattering it and cutting his flanks ever so slightly. He paid no heed to his blood as little by little it billowed out from him. The dark chamber he faced illuminated with artificial light energy, giving his senses a jolt of familiar adrenaline he felt before destroying a great evil.

The Queen was before him, her gigantic insectoid body connected to a machine that fed her nutrients from below. Tubes connected to her veins fed her the remains of Singers and animals from their planet, natural prey. Her gigantic head, much familiar to him, glanced down at the small cetacean. Her eyes shone a powerful crimson red, a single slit for a pupil throbbing with her anger. The two old foes regarded one another with recognition far placed into both of their heads. It was even more so from the Queen, as she let out an angry shriek of surprise when the dolphin let his faceplate fall to the chamber floor. The five bright stars of Delphineus shone on his brow, now brighter than ever.

**Ecco...** she hissed in his mind, barely able to contain her suppressed rage, **I have waited for so long to taste dolphin flesh again...are you here to kill me? Or is it vice-versa?**

The young Singer glared at her, never moving from his spot. "I've come to give you what you've deserved for so long. For threatening our world in the first place...for daring to take my family from me and making the mistake of sparing me. For using the Atlantean time machine to alter the past to your desires. For creating the possibility of a world where Singers are merely slaves and something to be eaten and exploited...this is the end.

"I will put you in your grave once and for all."

A gigantic clawed hand launched at him then, a screeching noise was heard, and the battle begun once more, for the last time.

* * *

_Oh, Delphineus have mercy..._Trellia thought as she returned in a ring of stars to her own familiar skies, though no longer familiar. Tremors ran through the entire length of her body as she gazed about the destruction of her world.

It was no longer day here, but night. The background of the sky was pitch-black, no stars. Delphineus could no longer be seen in the night, which caused the lone star on Trellia's forehead to vanish completely. She was back where she and Ecco had teleported from once before, in the great empty bay that once boasted the sunken city of Atlantis, the Cape of Archeo. The great crimson fog that she had first seen and that had haunted her dreams now lay above her, smothering the earth. The Aqua Tubeway was no longer visible, as if it had been destroyed.

Almost immediately, the same vision floated slowly in her head. Her heart wept worse than her eyes did as she saw the lifeless body of Tiderider seemingly floating in front of her. She wanted to swim over to him, awaken him somehow, and hear his voice again.

She shook her head violently to get rid of this vision. The sea below her was very dark, darker than it ever was at night. The water felt vicious and filled with evil malicious spirits. It seemed as thick as blood on her skin as she dove under, the only light coming from the persona of the Glyph Caller upon the Elder's Stone, hurriedly guiding herself to the underwater cave where the ancient dolphin was held captive for so long. Her sonar probed the empty, sandy floor of the sea, until at last she found the entrance near the island. Her light guided her as she swam in, awaiting the gentle and hopeful glow of the ancient Caller.

Finally, she arose within the air bubble of the gigantic cave. Rotating slowly before her was a familiar form, the ancient Glyph Caller. The marking of a crystal upon his chest proved his countenance and power. Immediately, Trellia let burst a requiem of notes that she and Ecco sang the first time. _You must awaken...you must!_

The light burst forth from the giant Glyph. **Who has summoned me?**

"It is I, Trellia. I have in my possession your persona, great Caller!"

The Glyph's light grew more intense. **I owe my greatest thanks for your return. Is your ancestor not with you?**

Once again, she seemed to falter as she answered. "No, he is not. He is trapped in another dimension at this time."

**Then we must act quickly. I sense the darkness has already started to wreck this world. The epicenter is back in Trella Bay, I am sorry to point out. Teo and the other Sky Killers are gathered there as well. Quickly, press the Elder's Stone to me.**

Gently, Trellia nudged the small crystal to the surface of the Glyph with her snout. Immediately, the Caller's Song immersed in the cavern, bringing with it the familiar sense of peace. Trellia listened gravely, though a part of her desperately wished to sing with him.

Then, the song quietly deteriorated in the stone walls of the cavern. Once again, Trellia could hear nothing but the water below the air bubble lapping against rock. The Elder's Stone around her neck was gone, and in front of her eyes the great Glyph cracked open in half, the great crystal reverting also to nothing but dust. The powerful dolphin, whose song caused the dilemma in the first place, slowly opened his eyes to reveal that they shone a soft hazel green. He gave Trellia a warm smile, exactly the same as Tiderider's always was. She smiled back, relieved, and filled with hope anew that her love may yet still be saved.

His beak clapped together a few times as he tested his sonar, for he hasn't sung in many a century. Then, he spoke. "Lead me to your bay. It's time right my wrong. Let us just hope that my descendants, both Radero and Tiderider, have wills stronger than mine ever was."


	19. 19

Chapter 19 

_Well, the sea still tastes the same here, _Tara thought to herself as she appeared back in the prehistoric era via the Asterite's transmission, carrying within her song its missing globe. _Hopefully Kitnee still survives. If he does...Delphineus have mercy._

She was back in the bay where the Asterite's past self lived. Far in the distance on the beach she could perhaps hear Kii and his family singing thoughtfully over the ocean, their future home. But Tara had no time to listen to the songs of the past...she had to help save her future.

Echoing softly around the coral and slowly past the ancient Hungry Ones, it was easy to find the Asterite's home. She could still hear weak moans from inside the rock, courtesy of the larval Vortex Queen. Hopefully she hadn't matured yet.

The young Singer took a deep breath from the surface and carefully maneuvered her body between the rock crevices. The Asterite was still somewhat in one piece, though the double helix rotated slowly; Tara could literally feel weakness and faltering from the great entity. Its power could barely keep the Vortex larva inside its electric prison.

She sang quietly. "Asterite, I have brought your globe back...where is Kitnee, do you know?"

The Asterite's reply was slow. **My...globe...**

Tara sang again, and the globe materialized back into its empty space within the double helix. Just as soon, a surge of electricity surged through the waters surrounding the Asterite and Tara. Her body was shocked, paralyzing her fluke. But what came to her great relief was the form of the Vortex queen, its transparent hull showing its organs blasting apart, the heart slowing, the brain desperately beating faster to keep it alive. The creature was released from the helix, left to float helplessly with the tide.

The Asterite, its health returned full, spoke again. **The Queen won't die; she is just terribly weakened. But I could sense great doubt in her mind...by now she has decided instead to integrate with life on Earth, to live as these creatures do.**

Tara could almost hear her lungs crying desperately for air. Her fluke couldn't move her, so she just stood staring partly at the awesome Asterite and partly at the electricity burns on her flank.

_So, this is how it ends..._she thought as she closed her eyes. She didn't feel the Asterite's powers give her air and heal her wound, sense the great shadow of an Orca gently pulling her by her stiff tail out of the rock crevice.

* * *

Ecco dodged and wove violently in-between the Vortex queen's giant clawed appendages. His sonar kept missing its aim, which was the back of her neck, in order to separate her head from its body. Only then could he blind her, disable her jaw, and finally ram her head into the machine where it could be crushed once and for all.

Strike! A swift blow from his sonar snapped the Queen's neck, releasing the head from the grasp of the great body. It sank to the bottom of the chamber, and Ecco swam up to face her.

He gathered a powerful blast of sonar, preparing to administer the dizzying blow of death. "To hell with you..."

But then, suddenly, everything everywhere stopped. The queen's head just disappeared into thin air, along with her corpse, before Ecco could release his song. In place of the great evil was a clean sea, his surroundings slowly morphing from the horrifying reality of slavery and death to life, love, and sentience.

Kitnee appeared before him, no longer a nightmarish half-Vortex Orca, but his old self. "Ecco...the timeline is shifting...this future is ceasing..."

Then he saw Kone and Hunju, along with all of the other weakened dolphins, next to him as well. Kone smiled. "Thank you, Ecco...I see now you are our savior..."

Slowly, the scenery warped from machinery back to nature. The Vortex drones withered and died from sight, leaving beautiful creatures from Earth's own seas: sharks, dolphins, whales, and fish. The harsh images disappeared, and in its place was a song that seemed much more powerful than the Caller's Song, or the song of the Asterite that manipulated time itself. This song filled his mind, his heart, his body, and his soul with both fear and respect.

_{Go back to where you belong, Ecco. This timeline is now sealed again.}_

He was left floating over a beautiful ocean, glancing over silvery shapes that darted in an out of the water excitedly as he descended. He saw his proud mother, the relieved faces of his entire pod, the wisdom that seemed to come from Radero, Enuia, and Lonus.

_Home Bay..._

_I must be dead..._

And so he closed his eyes as he settled in the warm, familiar sea, accepting his fate.

* * *

"Owww..."

"You know, Tara, if you would have just swam out of that crevice instead of staying there and getting electrocuted, it wouldn't hurt when you try to swim."

"Be quiet, Kitnee." The banter went on like that as Tara and her good friend maneuvered through the time stream, navigating back to Home Bay.

"Fine, fine," the Orca chuckled, "but I just don't want to hear your usual complaining when you're hurt like that."

She slapped her fin against his broad side in mock anger. "I do not complain!"

"Oh? I seem to remember a young Singer who got stung once by a small jellyfish. She complained for five days."

Tara rolled her eyes. "I was young and foolish back then, Kitnee." She then smiled at him and laughed. "Good gods, am I glad to have you back, old friend."

"I'm glad to be back, Tara. I only want to be an indestructible killing machine to fish and seals. Never to fellow Singers."

She laughed again, then sighed in relief as they arrived back in the familiar waters of Home Bay. It was night, and the moon was much larger than usual, which reminded both of them not to waste time.

They swam around the coral and rock face, singing for signs of the pod. They finally received back friendly and happy responses, as the entire pod rushed to greet them. All that is, except for Ecco's mother and Lonus's family.

And, Tara found before anyone else, Ecco as well. He was being supported at the surface by the others, his bleeding wounds kept safe from the scent of Hungry Ones. She broke away from Kitnee and quickly raced to his aid. "Hm," Kitnee mused to himself; "It seems she's all right after all."

Ecco's mother smiled as she saw Tara slowly approach, mindless of her injuries. She let a part of Ecco's nearly lifeless body limp for Tara to hold up. It took five minutes of gentle songs from his family to open his eyes again.

"Ugh...where am I?"

Tara smiled and nuzzled gently at his head. "You're home, Ecco."

He looked up in surprise, suddenly swimming away from the others. He leaped above the surface of the water, landing with a perfect belly flop back on the surface.

Tara and the others looked at him curiously. "Ecco?"

He stared back, then chuckled. "By the gods...I AM home!" He took another excited leap above the surface, this time ending face-to-face with Tara's angry look as he slammed back down.

"You're being just slightly delirious, Ecco, even for you. Where exactly were you?"

His excited mood suddenly turned serious as he sighed and glanced back up into the sky.

"Tell me!" she angrily called again. Kitnee swam next to her, also regarding his old friend with curiosity.

His worried gaze met hers. "I will tell you. But first, please tell me of how everything was on your side."

* * *

After a couple of hours searching and singing through darkness, Trellia and the Glyph Caller finally found themselves back in Trella Bay, where everything began. To Trellia's great relief, her family and many other pods of Sky Singers were gathered over the beaches of the bay. She also recognized a large mass of Orca patterns below her; the Sky Killers were converged in this one bay, busily defending it against strange masses of creatures the likes of which she had never seen.

They were as dark as shadows, and even shifted like them. There was no one shadow creature she could recognize in shape, for they always changed into something else. Often they grew longer and slicker, and often more they grew hard like armor with spikes or bludgeons for tails. Their eyes were blood red, and so were their teeth. More were converging on the spot from inside the crimson fog, but were matched by the awesome strength of Orca jaws and flukes that slammed with the force of a mace that was ten feet in diameter and hurtling at a speed of 200 miles per hour.

Trellia charged in to help, earning her shocked and amazed looks from her family. While the other Sky Killers kept busy defending the bay, Teo met her with his usual arrogance, mixed with the surprise that he held back. "You're back I see, Jewel Brow. Did I not tell you that you may trust us?" He smirked, the great black sail on his back seeming taller and more intimidating with the Orca's great size than ever before.

Trellia laughed and nodded. "I apologize for doubting your word, Teo. Before you eat me, though, may I ask what happened here?"

He nodded in reply, then glanced behind her, noticing the large dolphin. "Who is this?"

"He is the Glyph Caller, the one Ecco and I were charged to awaken. He holds the power to help with this problem. Now please, tell me what has happened after we left."

"Right. Well, as I promised, I released each of my Sky Killers to the other bays, whilst I introduced myself to your family. I am proud now to hold the last power of song amongst us, because without it I would not have gained their trust. Each night I closely watched as that..._thing_...in the sky grew larger and spread further. Finally, one night, it finally touched the other horizon, and the fog all at once hit the earth. The oceans shook and the tides roared, destroying the Sky Tides, all of them. These strange creatures invaded the sea from above in the sky. Within minutes the ocean became a seething mass of mess, death, and decay. We lost some dolphins that were merely swimming when it happened.

"I recalled the Sky Killers and they herded the other pods here to this bay, the largest of all, and we tried to defend them. But the sharks, the fish, the Medusa, all creatures were suddenly possessed. They targeted innocent sentient creatures, namely the dolphins. On top of that, as soon as we saw the last of the Glyphs shatter and lose its power forever, we saw the cause behind the cloud."

Trellia edged closer. "What was the cause?" But the Glyph Caller caught Teo's sad gaze.

He closed his eyes, slowly shaking his massive black head. "It was hard to believe for us as well...but I am certain it was your Tiderider."

* * *

Tara finished telling the entire story of their trip, from gathering the Glyphs, meeting the Land Singers, and finally the rescue of Kitnee from his own predator's mind. Tara's voice seemed to falter with sadness when she approached the end to her tale. The story left Ecco in a stupor...of course, the Kitnee in the Vortex dimension was right. Had it not been for Tara, this would have been the true future instead. And thanks to a small twist of fate, the future was again sealed.

All the Singers of Ecco's pod were hanging on the outskirts of their conversation. This will have been the greatest challenge yet for their hero, and many were now even starting to doubt whether he would save them or not. Ecco's mother was most hurt with worry in her heart; her own son was destined to be the hero. Her own young, adventurous calf had grown up so.

Ecco sighed softly and glanced about the group, of which he was seated at the epicenter. In front of him was Tara--his best friend and podmate. His gentle eyes were locked on hers as she finished her story, head hanging down in sadness. Behind her, the massive form of Kitnee the Orca also listened. Lonus, Enuia, and Radero hung beside them, near the Asterite.

"By Delphineus..." Ecco sang softly, "I never stopped to realize how an entire strand of time depends on but a single event...a singular change." He smiled and lifted Tara's head with his beak so he could look straight into her eyes. "Tara, you've proven yourself to be a great ally. Just as well that a podmate of mine would have instincts as powerful as my own."

Tara smiled, and for a moment was caught up in a powerful surge of emotion. She was never happier than this moment...for Ecco, her Ecco, was here, alive. "I could never match your courage, Ecco, no matter how much I try," she chuckled and nuzzled him softly, chirping in a simple Delphine song of happiness. "But now, you must answer me. Just where were you? And no swimming around the rock, I must know." She backfinned from him a little bit and turned to the crowd behind her and surrounding them. "They must know."

The young dolphin said nothing more, but simply stared, awaiting her answer. Kitnee chirped and added, "Tell me what you have seen, my friend." Radero watched Ecco closely with anticipation, fear, and a very grown-up respect. Lonus, Enuia, and the rest of the pod became dead silent. A mass of white crystals, Glyphs gathered by Lonus and his family, floated nearby, their energy of pain emitted and felt by all. Ecco sighed, closing his eyes and dipping his melon.

"Fine then, my friends. But I warn you, all of you, what you will hear is just as painful as what I have seen."

So he told them the entire story. Of finding ancient Atlantis with Trellia, arriving at the exact moment the Glyph Caller's song intercepted with the Vortex armada, sealed his body and soul in separate crystals, and left the city in ruins. Ecco told of when he separated with Trellia and ended up thrown into the Vortex future world. He told of meeting the Singers, who were reduced to nothing more than slaves and a food source. He told of the Killer Beasts, which made Kitnee's eyes tear at what his future may have been.

"So," Ecco concluded later, "I am only glad to return to my time once more. But the problem still arises of Trellia's world...the entity, or whatever it is, that is the incarnation of the ripped spaces of time, and that is connected with the Glyphs." Ecco looked around. "Where is she now?"

**Trellia is back in her time now,** the Asterite answered, **She believes you are far gone from her help, and wishes to combat the problem on her own. As for the rest of us, there is hope. I have directed the songs from Atlantis. Right now, scores and scores of Singers are coming this way. With their help, and with yours, we are going to finish what the great Glyph Caller did long ago. All we need now is for synchronization between the times in which I exist: Past, present, and future. Trellia, Tiderider, and the rest of the others in her time have that job. Kii and his family have the part of helping my past self. As for us, all we require is your help once more, and now for good, Ecco.**

Ecco smiled. "Perfect, then. Asterite, I accept...it is time that the tri-dimensions were finally closed and upon a linear path, once and for all!"

The others sang in unison, echoing glimmers of hope across the seas. The great whales heard them, and imitated the song. News spread to the far reaches of the globe. Ecco was back, and it was time for his last mission.

**Excellent, then. We still have some spare time to prepare, so I suggest that you and your family and friends spend these next two hours with one another, and renew old bonds. We need the best of hope now.**

"A good idea," Lonus answered and glanced to Enuia and Radero, "I have wished for long to spend time with my long lost family."

Ecco nodded, and the members of the pod parted their separate ways. Kitnee headed to the front of Home Bay, waiting to greet his own pod. After a moment, only Ecco, his mother, Tara, and the Asterite were left with their thoughts.

After some reassurance from his mother, Ecco turned to go his own way as well, seeking complete solitude from the others. Then, just as if he had a thought, he glanced back. "Tara, come with me," he smiled. With a dolphin's trademark grin, she followed.

* * *

Trellia's body was frozen with disbelief. The only thing that she felt right then was her heart pounding hard and fast against her rib cage. "Tiderider..." she stuttered, "No...It CAN'T BE!" she shouted, "He's not the cause, he's too pure! He just cannot..."

Teo clacked his teeth. "Stay your tears, Jewel Brow. Even when a soul seems purest, there is still something in him to take over. I know not how or why it could have happened, either, but you have to focus! It's time for your decision, Jewel Brow. Remember my story? A majority over one, your world versus the true world. What will you choose?"

"That's enough, Teo" the Glyph Caller gently relayed, "This Tiderider happens to be a scion of my blood. He simply needs to be reminded of why this darkness has him captive. His dormant powers have the ability, through the Atlanteans' lost legacy, to bring peace back to the world. Coupled with the blood of a defender of time," he indicated Trellia, "There is nothing they cannot do."

Teo growled, his eyes giving off an almost otherworldly glare. "You forget one factor, Singer: the Asterite. Can you not feel it, the way his energy is no longer felt in this sea of blood? He is dead. Without the Asterite, whose powers keep in tune with the Glyphs and time, there is no possible way we can fix this! The dimensions of time for this planet are as good as destroyed."

"We must try!" Trellia broke in, silencing the both of them. "Listen. Throughout my life, I have never lived in fear. This era is a paradise...the Earth was no longer hurting. Teo, I agree with your words, but you must understand something. I have heard, every minute, throughout everything I have done, that Tiderider's line is one of the immortals. His song has the power to destroy time, or seal it again. The Asterite, even if he is dead, there is still something left of him. And we have no time to find it." She glared at both of them, finally matching the determination of her ancestor, the great hero.

"Everything happens for a reason. There must be a reason we are all alive now, debating and wasting time. There must have been a reason I just freed the ancient Glyph Caller from his slumber. And there must have been a reason that I have yet to find for Tiderider. He IS my true world, Teo."

Trellia turned to the blank dead cloud descending upon them. She could sense Tiderider's essence coming toward her, an essence she longed to touch upon again.

"So help me...I WILL find a way."

Teo was silent for a few moments, then chuckled. "You have gained much courage since last we met, Trellia. Admirable even from the view of the Sky Killers."

**Which will set us all free.** A new voice interjected. The Singers turned in surprise to gaze upon a new figure. The creature seemed human, for it had skin, two legs, arms, and short white hair. He was glowing white like a spirit, and wore ancient garb like that of an ancient civilization, like the Greeks or Romans. Upon his head rested a crown of gold with strange writing on it. His eyes shone not one color, but several colors, in spiraling and mottled patterns like the globes of the Asterite. He was like an angel, ethereal and wise. He was alive and breathing underwater, and even seemed to be standing in nothing space instead of floating in the waves.

The others were confused, but the Glyph Caller was stunned. His giant body shivered with many tremors. "It can't be...an Atlantean?!"

The human-like creature calmly answered, staring ahead and seeming to speak without moving his mouth. **I am not an Atlantean. I have merely taken on the form of one; a form that seemed to me best suited for a job such as this. It has taken millions of years for me to gather enough energy from this planet to be able to finally shift my body into a tangible form. I am the Asterite.**

"Asterite!" Trellia trilled happily. "But, we assumed you were dead."

**I cannot die, my friend. But there is a final bit of history that you must know. And since we may know the source of this disruption, it is time I told you. Too late, I know that you think so, but I will tell my tale quickly. Then perhaps Tiderider can be freed from this accursed world.**

**You see, I, the Asterite, am not from Earth, contrary to the belief of the Singers. I was developed and brought here. By...the Vortex.**

There was a gasp from the crowd. Trellia could not form words, but stood staring, dumfounded.

**Hard to believe, I see,** the Asterite sighed. **Allow me to finish.**

**Long ago, when the Earth was young, the Vortex were finished feeding upon and conquering a planet previous to this one. They began their search for a new planet, a new food source and living place to fit their needs and desires so they could not starve. What they found was a planet not too far away from them, nearby the star system Cassandra. It was rich with life, especially beneath the seas.**

**In their machine, they used electricity mixed with their own DNA in a strange mixture, creating twenty-eight small spheres, each with a small piece of them. Alone, the spheres were useless. But placed together, they formed a single giant entity. The globes were pieces of its brain, personality, soul, everything a sapient creature is made of. With it, the new life form was given great and hidden powers to defend itself. Each globe had different powers, such as mind reading, psychic future abilities, and a shock of electricity to defend itself.**

**The creature was created with but one purpose: to be sent to the Earth, their newly discovered young planet, and gather information about it as it grew old and its creatures evolved into more powerful, smarter beings. Send information back to planet Vortex, and ready them for conquest. So, the purpose of the Asterite came to be.**

**I was sent to the planet on a passerby comet, which was directed straight towards it. In an immense shockwave that destroyed nearly every species of animal on Earth, the comet landed with the force of ten atomic bombs. Through the explosion, my globes reformed from the debris and ended up in the ocean of the dying world.**

**I was hidden for a while. But one day, a small dolphin from the future era evaded my lightning and stole one of my globes, stripping me of my power, and disappeared with it. But with what I lost, I gained much more.**

**The planet grew over millions of centuries, and I witnessed it. The evolution of creatures that could sing in the sea and congregate on land...birth, death, rain, sun, plants that disappeared and grew again with each new generation...it was pure poetry. Slowly, gradually, my sentience grew and changed. I learned from the creatures of the sea. I gradually became a legend, the wise and powerful Asterite. I gained new powers and I the more I thought, the more I disliked my former masters and their treacherous, murdering ways. They wanted this beautiful planet.**

**It was a mistake to create me as a creature that could learn and grow, just like a Singer or a human or any lovely beast living on this world. I kept the knowledge I have gained to myself, as my own personal glory. Then one day, a new civilization seemed to rise from the sea. They were comprised of humans, the Speakers, and cetaceans, the Singers. They were the Atlanteans.**

**They learned of the Vortex from me, and placed their knowledge in their massive Glyph library. I helped them develop their technology and to become a true symbol of peace, and in turn they helped me gain truer powers: the knowledge of the ability to send a creature through the very strands of time itself. I could communicate with the Singers, and became their guardian of sorts.**

**But, the Vortex didn't forget their intentions. They targeted where I was staying, and attacked Atlantis. In a war that lasted a year, they eventually won the planet, and I was powerless in my state to defend it. I stole away and hid beneath the Deep Waters for eternity, and failed to sing again. Every five hundred years, they sent a storm to drain the sea of life.**

**But Ecco brought my globe back, by a miracle of luck. Even if it was by my command, he helped give me a true purpose other than destruction. With my powers returned, I could help him achieve his destiny.**

**But later, the Vortex Queen survived and followed him to Earth. Knowing my treachery, she attempted to tear me apart. But she failed, and Ecco banished her using the time machine back to the past. But that, along with the Glyph Caller's stunt, opened a new rip between alternate futures, a new possibility for the dark Vortex future to come back.**

**In this future, though, my waiting has finally paid off. From the energy gathered from the planet's life, I was able to manipulate my powers, and my life energy matched that of Earth animals. I chose an Atlantean form, with powers similar to the Glyphs. I am no longer what the Vortex created. I am my own entity. And it is fortunate, for now I can help you, and give the Singers something back for my happiness.** The Asterite smiled as he finished.

Trellia clicked happily. "A very fascinating past you have. I simply cannot believe that my ancestor gave you life."

**Aye, that is most certainly how I describe it. Ecco has a powerful spirit.**

"Unbelievable..." Teo mused, "There is more to that Jewel Brow than simply a strange countenance...LOOK OUT!" he shouted, interrupting himself. With a swift movement of his fluke, the Orca intercepted a spear of lighting aimed straight at Trellia. It lanced straight through Teo and threw his body aside against a rock. He released a song of agony as his blood clouded the water.

"Teo!" Trellia shouted and swam after him. The Glyph Caller faced what threw the lightning lance...straight into the eyes of his descendant, Tiderider.


	20. 20

**

* * *

Chapter 20**

The songs of thousands of cetaceans were heard far above anything else. The entire evening sea was filled with a melodious bounty of life, as sentience from far and wide left their differences behind in order to gratefully help their hero and the Asterite. Kitnee was the first to see them: Blue whales. The giants of the sea led the entire mega-pod to converge in the bay. Behind them, humpback whales. Sei whales, sperm whales, gray whales, right whales, beaked whales, every Great Singer within miles led the charge.

Among them were their small cousins: every species of dolphin imaginable, except for river dolphins. Bottlenosed, spotted, all manners of dolphin and porpoise in every shape and every form were swimming like pygmies alongside the leviathans of the whales. Their songs combined into one: bass, tenor, alto, soprano...the serenade seemed to elevate the very waves.

Kitnee even whistled for joy at the sight of his own family, a proud pod of Orcas, led by his father.

"Asterite, they've come!" he shouted, swimming back into the bay where the others were gathered. "I have never seen such a spectacle, there are so many Singers!"

**Do you doubt, Kitnee?** The Asterite chuckled. Lonus, Enuia, and Radero arrived along with the other pod members to welcome them, and surrounding their giant Glyph, crafted from the many they have recovered. The great crystal was so large; it rose ten feet above the surface and caught the glare of the setting sun.

Ecco and Tara were the last Singers to arrive. Like usual, Ecco assumed the lead role and swam to the head of the pod, ready to welcome the newcomers. Tara swam with him and a little behind, for the first time feeling slightly inferior to her podmate. His stature was unmatched in the sea, and he seemed like an equal to Delphineus with the trademark adorning his melon, saying not a word.

The mass of Singers stopped upon seeing Ecco's group. The lead blue whale was the speaker for each of them. "Greetings, Little Singer Ecco," he bellowed in a grand, majestic voice as he towered over him, "I remember you from when you were simply a calf. I am Risho-tun, the Little Blue."

"Yes, I remember you as well, Risho," Ecco smiled, "You are the son of the Big Blue. It is an honor to see you again."

"The honor is mine, Ecco," Risho sang. "And I see the entity that calls himself the Asterite is with you as well. Well greeted."

**Well met,** the Asterite answered, **As soon as I am synchronized with my past and future selves, I shall tell you of my plan.**

* * *

Trellia, try as she might, could not keep the massive form of Teo afloat. His body was nearly limp, and his heart was pumping slower and slower by the minute. He could no longer swim on his own, for the shock permanently paralyzed his tail muscles. His pod members surrounded the Orca, each of them lowering their heads in mourning. Their leader was dying.

"You cannot die, Teo," Trellia cried, "You are the last Sky Killer with the ability of song..."

"For once, Jewel Brow..." Teo slowly coughed, "I was wrong about something. The ability to sing isn't lost to them...they simply forgot how...please..." he groaned. "If you survive this ordeal, please, you and your family...teach them how to sing."

"But, Teo..."

"That is my final wish!" he shouted with all his might, then smiled and spoke softly again. "I am finally going to join my love in the afterlife...will you accept my request, Trellia?"

Trellia's body shook violently, but she quickly overcame it with her newfound courage. "I will, Teo, I give you my word."

"The word of a small one..." Teo chuckled weakly, "Perhaps that is the treasure the Jewel Brows...keep..." With one last breath, his body fell limp. His heart stopped. His eyes glazed over and closed. Trellia let him sink into the dark, murky depths. For Teo was dead.

She turned to the cause of the suffering, along with Teo's old pod. Each and every Singer in Trella Bay glared with malice and hatred. But the Glyph Caller and the Asterite's eyes were filled half with pity, and half with the rush of finding a solution.

Tiderider spoke, but it was in a voice that seemed fierce, pushing his once gentle voice into a distant void. There was no pity or remorse in his voice: only cause of fear and the upbringing of death.

"A pity. I had hoped to kill you instead, Trellia. You didn't listen to me. Now this world is ours."

**Tell us who you are this instant!** The Asterite demanded.

The Glyph Caller nodded agreeably. "Most certainly you are not my descendant."

"Agreed," the creature hissed, drawing the word out, "You are the one, Glyph Caller, that released me when you unleashed the power of the Glyphs upon the Vortex. The Glyphs hold together the powers of time. Without Atlantis, and the Glyphs, time is ready to come under my command. Such a fool you are...and with you gone, I was able to manipulate the ruins. With the help of a creation of the Asterite, of course."

What do you mean, 'my creation?' the Asterite asked.

"Why, the Shadow Ecco, of course. Right now, unbeknownst, it is my anchor to Ecco's present. That is why the future is now dark...I have my hold there now."

The Asterite gasped. **But the Shadow Ecco was only meant to help guide Ecco to me when the Vortex Queen followed him.**

"And yet," the creature hissed again, "He has grown smarter and demanded fish of his own free will, a clue that I have control. Asterite, you were brought by the Vortex, and with only a small fluke they call luck, you learned to manipulate time by sending Ecco through it. It is also because of you that I have come to be. And by the way, don't try destroying him in the present...I've already taken root long past."

"And who are you?" The Glyph Caller asked.

The creature grinned menacingly, twisting Tiderider's body in a gesture of defiance. "Once, the locked darkness between dimensions. Where concepts are gathered as objects. I was born of the concept of evil. And found my hold when you ripped the space apart. Coupled with the paradox the Asterite and Ecco have created through time, I live and catch the Glyph Caller's blood...within his dreams. I am king of nightmares."

"Blasphemy!" Trellia shouted, "Nothing like that exists!" The lone star on her forehead shimmered brightly. The others shouted with agreement, releasing blasts of song that echoed across the sea as pure anger.

With that action, the Asterite started shimmering as well. "The self in Ecco's present time is calling to me. It is time, Trellia. Glyph Caller, get your Caller's Song ready. I know how to free Tiderider."

* * *

Kii and his pack stayed near the sea, their heads cast up to the sky. The Asterite regarded them from nearby, his globes slowly turning in the double helix pattern. The sky was turning an ominous black, though night hadn't fallen yet.

"'Tis a bad sign, yes it is," Kii sighed.

Just then, the Asterite's globes started rotating faster. **Land Singers,** it called out, **I receive a message from the future. Open your minds and learn this song, then sing with me when I call it!**

Then, just as if to be recalled from memory, the notes of a song appeared in Kii's thoughts, as well as that of his comrades. The Caller's Song resounded through his primitive Singer mind like a newer, more powerful possibility. But what he didn't notice was the new power granted to him, as three stars in the pattern of a triangle appeared on his forehead...

* * *

Ecco's stars glimmered as the Asterite's globes did. The giant Glyph that the cetaceans surrounded started to take on a powerful white light, illuminating the sea of night and filling the floor with shadows.

The constellation Delphineus hung like a powerful beacon of hope to all Singers.

During the few minutes, while the Asterite was contacting his past and future selves, he also filled each and every cetacean's head with visions of his past. He told the entire story of his time on the Earth, from his Vortex creation and all the way into his conversion from Trellia's future.

"Finally, the great Asterite's mystery is revealed..." Ecco sang softly, his eyes still tightly shut as the visions of a vast world of time flashed before him. Tara's flank was pressed against his for comfort as the visions entered her mind as well.

"I never imagined I'd be part of all this," she sighed.

Kitnee hovered nearby, contemplating. "If we survive, the Singers will tell of this story for thousands of eons."

"It isn't a story," his father corrected, his strong voice reminding Ecco of Teo, "It will be a veritable legend. In a thousand years' time, calves will have this locked in their memories and their songs will portray Ecco, the great hero, and my son, the Orca sidekick," he laughed.

Kitnee glared. "This is hardly the time for jokes, father."

"I know, I know," his expression hardened as his glance wavered from his son, to the vast waves of worried and anticipated cetaceans, and finally to Ecco's group. "I simply wonder what your mother would think of this."

"My mother? The Resie?" Kitnee smiled, "I expect she'd be very proud of me."

"We shall see, my son. The legend isn't over yet. And whether it ends up a tragedy depends on all of us now."

**Enough now, my Singers,** the Asterite announced loudly as the crowd hushed, **The time approaches. Soon, the times of the past, the present, and the future will have a common link...at the exact time the moon rises. When that happens, the tide will gain its greatest power, and from that, so do the Glyphs. I will harness that power and open all three timelines at once. That is when all of you, led by the young Radero, will sing the Caller's Song. I know many of you don't know the notes, but just follow as best you can. The giant Glyph will rise to the heavens, its power prepared to seal the river of time into its true course for good. However, in order to do that, one factor must be destroyed.**

"What is that, Asterite?" Risho the Little Blue inquired.

**That is I. When the time streams are open, and the Caller's Song has reached its peak, Ecco must travel into the past, when I first arrived. He is the only one of all here with immortality. He must destroy me.**

Ecco's eyes snapped open. "But Asterite, what about your life? All of the knowledge you have gained, in order to liberate yourself from the influence of the Vortex, will have been wasted."

**No it will not be, Ecco. I have lived my live once, truly. My fate is sealed, and it's for the greater good. My Singer, you have given me my life. I lived paradise. Now my wish is for you to take it from me. My gift has been your curse.**

* * *

"You do realize that the Caller's Song is a dangerous one. It has the power to destroy in the notes of the wicked."

**Are you wicked, Caller? The Asterite answered his own question, You deem yourself wicked because of what you have done. You must not let the words of this demon pierce your soul. You may have been a factor in destruction, unwittingly. Now, you will willingly factor in healing.**

The Singers, the Sky Killers, and the Asterite all faced the possessed Tiderider and his horde of dark shadows summoned from new dimensions.

"What are you going to do," Tiderider chuckled maniacally, "You cannot possibly seal me. I have this power, remember?" At his cue, Trellia suddenly doubled over in pain. She screamed out, for her mind once again was filled with her greatest fear.

"Get out of my MIND!" Trellia shouted, trying to open her eyes as if they were sealed shut, "Don't do this to Tiderider! NO! STOP!"

Then, just as quickly as it happened, she was released from the hold of darkness, her lone star shining intensely. But instead of breaking down, she slowly cast a poisonous glare to the creature holding her love in bondage. "You have shamed me, and him, for the last time, demon..." she growled. "We cannot fight you, because Teo couldn't. But we know one entity who could."

"And who is that?" the evil one sneered, using Tiderider's eyes.

The Asterite answered for her as two holes opened in the time stream, showing two scenes played at the same moment in their times: Ecco's present, and the Earth's past.

**Delphineus himself.**

* * *

The sky darkened as Kii and the others witnessed the time stream opening. One with Trellia facing her own love, and one with Ecco facing his final destiny, determination in his ebony eyes showing up more defined than ever.

Kii shouted with excitement. "There is Ecco and the others! But what is going on?"

**Now, Kii! All of you...sing!**

As soon as the command was uttered, Kii led his pack of Land Singers in a chorus. The surroundings became dead quiet, as the notes reverberated around the world.

* * *

"Now everyone! Sing! Now!"

Radero whistled nervously. "But I don't know if I can..."

Enuia gently nuzzled him forward. "Go, my son. I have faith in you. Sing with them." Lonus nodded proudly.

And so, led by a nervous Radero, a determined Ecco, and his proud pod, every cetacean on the planet for miles around erupted in song. The humpback whales released their haunting melodies to the tune of the Caller's Song. The blue whales serenaded. The dolphins backed them up. The porpoises erupted in play as they too rang aloud. The Orcas, whose songs were always directed to the thrill of the hunt, were now ironically synchronized as one with their Singer cousins.

Slowly, surely, the giant crystal Glyph hovered out of the water and into the heavens, and with them, in the front, was Ecco.

* * *

The dark seas were silenced. Trellia listened to the vast chorus of cetaceans in the other times, and she could hear others of her pod starting to sing as well. The Asterite proudly looked on, then turned his confident gaze to the captured Tiderider. And for the first time, there was a fit of worry within them. Tiderider's body started fits of convulsions.

Trellia smiled, for the first time in ages. "Glyph Caller, we need your help as well."

The Caller whistled his assent. "I agree. Prayers to Delphineus that I don't end up destroying the Earth, as I nearly did long ago."

He waited until the notes of the song started over again. Then, he joined in, his voice stronger and more powerful than any other was. And those were the notes that started breaking Tiderider's bond.

His captor struggled, but to no avail. "No...his mind...resisting...me..." he roared, his voice warping between evil and the gentle voice of the original Singer.

The bond still held strong, though, until Trellia added just a few words into the song.

"I love you, Tiderider. Please free yourself."

Slowly, the trademark of the Caller appeared on his chest between the pectoral fins: a pattern mark of the Glyph. With that, the hold was released, and his body was dropped hard from many hundreds of feet up to the surface. Trellia ascended, and caught him.


	21. 21

**Chapter 21**

**Ecco! You must go now, into the past! Destroy me, and end this tragedy!**

"A moment, Asterite, and I shall," he answered once he was lowered back into the water. His friends, everyone he has ever known, swam up to him.

"My son. I never would have thought that you could grow to be such a hero. I am most proud of you," his mother lamented gently. Ecco smiled and nuzzled her softly.

Kitnee swam up next. "No matter what happens up there Ecco, you will always be my best friend."

"Thank you, Kitnee. I'll always remember the Orca who helped me."

Finally, Tara swam up to him. The others parted as she came through, and Ecco's gaze softened as it met hers.

"Ecco," she sighed softly, "I really...I really don't know what to say to this moment. This is to be your last mission...what if..."

"Tara," he interrupted quietly, "I promise, all will be put right again. I have never been wrong before. After all we have been through, you know enough to trust me."

"I know, I know," she looked away. "But if you don't return, I may never get a chance to say...well..."

"You don't have to, Tara," Ecco smiled and nuzzled her, "I knew. And I love you too."

The words gave Tara a new sense of pride for her podmate. Her long time friend has grown on her.

She laughed in her usual arrogant way for the last time. "Go get 'em, Ecco."

He winked. "That's the plan."

With a final farewell song to all Singers that could hear him, Ecco ascended into the time stream for the last time, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Just then, the giant Glyph seemed to touch the heavens. A great and powerful vortex opened up, seemingly about to swallow everything whole. The vortex not only swallowed Ecco, but also scattered the scars of time throughout the cosmos. The mysterious Shadow Ecco was swept up in one of them, destined to discover a dimension of his own...

* * *

Trellia's gentle singing finally awakened Tiderider. "Ugh...where am I? What happened?" he glanced around, dazed.

Trellia chuckled. "You're home, silly Tideslider."

To her great relief, he sent her one of his usual joking leers. "The name is Tiderider. And what's all this?"

A glowing humanoid figure in front of him nodded a greeting. **It is I, the Asterite. And I am relieved to see you alive.**

The Glyph Caller nodded solemnly as well. "I am your ancestor from ancient Atlantis. And I am here to help you awaken your power."

"My power?" Tiderider echoed, "What power?"

"The power this darkness wanted all along. With the aid of the Caller's Song, with my descendant, you will help us seal time for good."

Tiderider had a skeptic look in his eyes, until he laid his glance upon the sky. The heavens were literally swallowed with darkness. And just as his eyes scanned slowly across where the stars used to lie, his expression turned serious as his memory floated back to him.

"Teach me then." He simply said.

* * *

Ecco arrived in the past, quicker than he had ever done using the Asterite's help or with the Atlantean time machine.

When he landed, Kii and the others had already finished their song, and were standing amidst the tide with a curious look in their eyes. The Asterite floated nearby.

**Ecco. I bid you farewell now. If there is anything you wish to have performed, anything at all, name it now.**

Ecco, already lining his sonar up to deliver the destructive blow to the Asterite, uttered a simple wish. "Take my immortality from me."

His heart was weighing heavily. The Asterite became his friend...he had helped him retrieve his family from the evil Vortex. And now he had to kill him, to save the entire timeline from falling apart once more.

"Goodbye," Ecco whispered, and released the great blast of song...

* * *

At the exact same time, the giant Glyph blocked the vortex in the sky and stopped it instantly. To the sight of thousands of cetaceans, and probably to all other life forms on the planet, powerful lances of energy similar to lightning attempted to seal the holes in time for good.

Tiderider learned the Caller's Song, the song of his ancestors. With one last glow, the Asterite sank back without a word of farewell, disappearing slowly into the shadows. The demon that tried to control him appeared in the form of a giant black Sky Singer with crimson red eyes, spouting threads of blood red lightning.

Then everything, everywhere, froze.

Every Singer in all three times, past, present, and future, carefully and anxiously watched the sky. The giant Glyph's power spread throughout the cosmos. A great ball of light appeared in the center of the heavens, where the constellation Delphineus stood. In the epicenter of the light was the image of a dolphin, his body showing an ethereal white. Stars adorned his side, and his eyes were black with white pinpoints like stars, as if the entire galaxy fell beneath his gaze.

"Delphineus..." the dolphins chanted.

"Apollo..." the whales sang.

"The Great One," the porpoises chattered.

"Quisheri," the mesyonichids sang.

_{Ecco, the Chosen One, has fulfilled the ancient prophecy of the waters,}_ the voice boomed, both physically and mentally, and also touching the emotions of every Singer it could hear, _{Now, time's stream is returned to its rightful place. I knew that someday a descendant of mine, who bore my signature upon his brow, would be the one. And I congratulate the Glyph Caller and his blood for redeeming this cause. I will now seal the strands of time. And none shall remember.}_

In a blinding flash of light, the world trembled under the might of the dolphin god. The Glyphs returned to their places in time, scattered by the Atlanteans. And finally, the seas were left undisturbed once again. Ecco, however, was left off track...

* * *

_Months after..._

Tara leaped from the waves, whistling and chattering happily with the rest of the pod. Radero, now a young adult, raced after her. "Hey, not fair, you cheated! I want a rematch!"

Tara laughed. "Not a chance, calf. I win."

"I'm NOT a calf, for the millionth time!" Radero shouted. The glittering, silvery torpedo bodies of the dolphins happily swam the bay, using the sea like one does a trampoline. They owned the sea; it was their toy.

When Kitnee came in sight, Tara swam towards him. "Hey, what's the news?"

Kitnee laughed. "Not much. My pod was passing by and I wanted to say hello." He hung his head in sadness. "I'm sorry about...you know."

Tara smiled. "It was expected, I suppose. Ecco has always surprised us, in his own way. I guess it was fate that he should disappear into the Tides of Time once again."

"Yeah...I wonder why this time...so, how are things on your end, Tara?"

The young Singer sighed happily. "Wonderful, Kitnee, simply wonderful. I am to have a calf soon."

"Truly?" Kitnee's eyes widened. "Congratulations. I am sure Ecco would be proud of the news."

"I'm sure he would..." Tara's eyes gained a slightly glazed look, as if she were remembering a long forgotten memory. What she remembered was Ecco, her good friend and mate, and how he always made her smile with his golden heart and loving gaze.

"You promised me, Ecco. I await your proof."

As she said this, her eyes wandered to the remnants of the giant Glyph, a crystal holding more power than one could imagine.

* * *

Trellia floated slowly through her home skies, which were just as beautiful as they had always been. Her nightmares had disappeared, and she has grown into a beautiful leader of the Sky Singers of Trella Bay. Teo's old pod still guarded the Cape of Archeo, only this time, each of them could sing, just as Teo wished.

Tiderider leaped from the water and soared next to Trellia. "Hey, what're you thinking about?"

"I'm just thinking, that's all. Tiderider...I'm just so relieved...I almost lost you."

He chuckled and gave her a reassuring nuzzle. "Worry not, now, I'm here with you now."

"By the way..." Trellia inquired, "Where is your ancestor, the Glyph Caller?"

"I accompanied him back to Atlantis Bay. He wished to be sealed once again, for his body to be preserved and the Glyphs to be powered. I acknowledged his wishes. He now rests peacefully."

"That is good to hear. Thank you, Tiderider."

"No problem at all, my darling Trellia." He winked. "Are you going to join me in our usual swim?"

"In a moment. I wish to swim alone for a few more minutes." She smiled.

"You know where to find me, then." He floated away to the nearest sky tube, his silvery body racing faster than any dolphin. Trellia sighed, for a new piece of life was going to weigh her down soon enough...

Thoughtful but satisfied, Trellia swam alone back to her own corner of the bay, where the Asterite was living only many months before. _The Asterite is erased from time now, _she thought, and dismissed all ways he could have existed. In this new time strand, he was merely a prehistoric legend.

But soon enough, so too would she be. She, and Ecco, and all Singers before and after them, found their own ways among the gods. And someday, they would find, all still goes well in the Tides of Time.

After all, it is Ecco that keeps it that way...at least for awhile.

* * *

Kii's song was becoming more pronounced, just as powerful as any cetacean song. Long later into thousands of years, his descendants will claim their power in the magnificent seas of the eternally beautiful Earth. Everyone knew he was stranded in the time stream of the past forever, but at least he could secure the future of the Singers.

After his lesson, the young Mesyonichid tilted his head at Ecco. "Is the singer from the water depressed?"

Ecco chuckled. "No, Kii. It's just...the others are going to miss me quite so."

"Can you not go back?"

The young dolphin sighed, fluke churning in the water as he paced with thought. "I believe I know a way how. But I'm not going just yet. The present can do without me. At least..." he paused while his five forehead stars shone brightly, as if sensing a new ominous event. "I hope they can."

_And so it passed, the songs reply_

_The Tides of Time our songs rely_

_The Caller's notes, the power of time_

_Our own notes, the power of rhyme_

_We shall sing forever, forever that we shall live_

_In the eyes of the great Delphineus, night should stride_

_And yet once more, balance is restored,_

_Will the Tides of Time you ride?_

--Theme of the Sky Singers, "Tides of Time."

THE END


End file.
